FLOYD ON F1: Home crowd to give Perez wings in Mexico

This weekend the F1 world moves to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit for the Mexican Grand Prix, the 18th round of the 2021 calendar.

It will be home turf for a man whose results will play an important role in the fight for the F1 drivers’ title, Sergio Perez.

His role is a vital one for Red Bull team leader Max Verstappen and Perez’s recent form is exactly what the Dutchman requires from his team-mate in his quest for the title.

Perez seems to have found the balance he has been looking for and is proving to be exactly what the team requires, quick and consistent.

It will also be a race where Perez aims to become the first Mexican to win an F1 race on his home ground and he will certainly have the crowd behind him.

All eyes will be on the Mercedes team for signs of a power unit change, particularly for reigning champion Lewis Hamilton.

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Valtteri Bottas has already taken a sixth unit and apart from the McLaren team, all other Mercedes engine clients are on four for the season.

There appears to be continued concern regarding the durability of the previously almost indestructible Mercedes power pack.

With the F1 drivers’ title on a knife edge between Verstappen and Hamilton, just 12 points separating them, the issue of reliability could radically affect the season’s result and many an engineer will be chewing their fingernails.

For the 2021 F1 season, each driver can use three internal combustion engines, three turbo chargers, three motor generator unit heat, three motor generator unit kinetic, two energy stores, two control electronics and eight exhaust systems.

Most teams have already exceeded many of these totals. And with only five races left, any contact between the top drivers or a did not finish could swing the point’s situation in either direction very quickly.

Sunday’s race should be an absolute cracker of an event, one not to be missed.

To see the F1 drivers’ world championship standings, click here.