MEXICO CITY – Red Bull driver Max Verstappen smiled as he approached the Hermanos Rodríguez track. A sizable press corps and a mariachi band followed. An eclectic group of VIPs watched as a few lucha libre wrestlers, clad in the traditional face masks, mingled in the crowd.
Welcome to Formula One media day, Mexican style. After the Dutch driver, hometown favorite Sergio 'Checo' Pérez followed suit, with a colorful entourage in tow.
“It feels great,” said Pérez. “It's a race that I'm waiting the whole season for. It comes really late in the calendar, but it comes at the right time.