62 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
ccording to legend, an ancient prophecydictated that Mexico’s
indigenous people should build a great city where they saw an
eagle perched on a cactus devouring a snake. Thislocat ion – on an
island in a lake situated at an altitude of7,300 feet– was where,
signature. The build-up to the
Mexican Grand Prix is unlike any
other for this local racer.
It’s early morning on the
Wednesday before the action
begins atthe Au tódromo Hermanos
Rodríguez. The location for
Pérez’s first public appearance is
outside the Plaza Carso shopping
mall in Polanco, an upmarket
district of thesprawling capital of
the United Mexican States. The
bustling city is already awake with
office workers, street vendors and
food retailers going about their
business. The thin air is filled with
the heady mix oftacos andexhaust
fumes, accompanied by a regular
soundtrack of sirens and car horns.
The greater metropolitan area of
Mexico City is home more than 20
million people, making it the largest
Spanish-speaking city in the world.But like any major hub, particularly
in a developing nation, the wealth
of office blocks is accompanied
by poverty. On main roads, small
children hold outbegging bowls.
Around the corner from the
impoverished is an extraordinary
display of wealth. As the early
morning sun glints off the two
office-block skyscrapers above the
shopping mall, they cast shadows
over an unusually sculpted silver
edifice. This is one of the city’s
185 museums and it housesone
of the world’s largestpriva te art
collections. Inside, works include
Rodin sculptures and pieces from
Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci.
In total there are over 60,000 items
from centuries of history, both from
the Latin and Western worlds.
Back in January 2015, Pérez
was inside this structure taking700 years ago, the ancientcity
of Tenochtitlan was founded.
Modern-day Mexico City now
occupies that site. The story of the
eagle andthe serpent is enshrined
in the centre of the country’s flag,
which is currently being unfurled
by Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez.
As he proudly holds the large
Mexicanbandera, he is surrounded
by a phalanx of TV camera crews
and photographers. Standing
next to a Racing Point show car
in the heart of Mexico City, Pérez
is inundatedwith requests from
fans for autographs and selfies.
Wherever he goes, the masses
gravitate towards their hero,
making any movement slow-going.
But the 29-year old isn’t daunted.
He dutifully obliges his adoring
public, smiling for pictures and
anointing their capswith hisA
62 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
ccording to legend, an ancient prophecydictated that Mexico’s
indigenous people should build a great city where they saw an
eagle perched on a cactus devouring a snake. Thislocat ion – on an
island in a lake situated at an altitude of7,300 feet– was where,
signature. The build-up to the
Mexican Grand Prix is unlike any
other for this local racer.
It’s early morning on the
Wednesday before the action
begins atthe Au tódromo Hermanos
Rodríguez. The location for
Pérez’s first public appearance is
outside the Plaza Carso shopping
mall in Polanco, an upmarket
district of thesprawling capital of
the United Mexican States. The
bustling city is already awake with
office workers, street vendors and
food retailers going about their
business. The thin air is filled with
the heady mix oftacos andexhaust
fumes, accompanied by a regular
soundtrack of sirens and car horns.
The greater metropolitan area of
Mexico City is home more than 20
million people, making it the largest
Spanish-speaking city in the world.But like any major hub, particularly
in a developing nation, the wealth
of office blocks is accompanied
by poverty. On main roads, small
children hold outbegging bowls.
Around the corner from the
impoverished is an extraordinary
display of wealth. As the early
morning sun glints off the two
office-block skyscrapers above the
shopping mall, they cast shadows
over an unusually sculpted silver
edifice. This is one of the city’s
185 museums and it housesone
of the world’s largestpriva te art
collections. Inside, works include
Rodin sculptures and pieces from
Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci.
In total there are over 60,000 items
from centuries of history, both from
the Latin and Western worlds.
Back in January 2015, Pérez
was inside this structure taking700 years ago, the ancientcity
of Tenochtitlan was founded.
Modern-day Mexico City now
occupies that site. The story of the
eagle andthe serpent is enshrined
in the centre of the country’s flag,
which is currently being unfurled
by Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez.
As he proudly holds the large
Mexicanbandera, he is surrounded
by a phalanx of TV camera crews
and photographers. Standing
next to a Racing Point show car
in the heart of Mexico City, Pérez
is inundatedwith requests from
fans for autographs and selfies.
Wherever he goes, the masses
gravitate towards their hero,
making any movement slow-going.
But the 29-year old isn’t daunted.
He dutifully obliges his adoring
public, smiling for pictures and
anointing their capswith hisA