Alright, so, I finally decided to sit down and write about my experience at the Sergio Perez Mexico GP in 2023. It feels like it was ages ago, but man, the memories, especially that first lap, are still pretty fresh in my head. I’d been looking forward to this one for a long, long time. You know how it is, Checo racing at home, the atmosphere is always something else. I got my tickets sorted way in advance, found a small place to stay which I thought was close by – turns out, the traffic was an absolute nightmare, but I’ll get to that.
The Journey and That Pre-Race Buzz
Race day morning, I was up before the sun. You could already feel it in the air, you know? The excitement. Everywhere I looked, people were in Red Bull shirts, Checo caps, Mexican flags draped over their shoulders. It was pretty cool. Getting to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, that was an adventure. I took the metro for a bit, then hoofed it the rest of the way. The sheer number of folks heading in the same direction was nuts, but everyone was just buzzing, chanting “Checo! Checo!”. It really gets your blood pumping.
- The trains were packed solid, but it was a good vibe, all fans together.
- Street vendors were out in full force, selling every kind of merch you could think of.
- And you could start to hear the faint roar of the engines as you got closer – awesome.
Once I got inside, wow, just a sea of people. I found my spot, wasn’t the best seat in the house for seeing the whole track, but I had a decent view of the main straight and, crucially, Turn 1. The energy was just electric. Every time they showed Checo on the big screens, the place just erupted. You really felt like you were part of this massive wave of support for the local guy.
The Race… Well, Checo’s Part Anyway
So, the build-up to the start was intense. They had mariachi bands playing, the jets flew over, the whole nine yards. My heart was thumping in my chest waiting for those lights to go out. And then, bam! Lights out, and Checo, he got an absolute flyer of a start! He was right in there, going three-wide into the first corner. I was on my feet, shouting my lungs out with everyone else. For a second, it looked like he was actually going to take the lead!
And then… chaos. Just pure, unadulterated chaos.
He clipped Leclerc. I saw it happen. Saw his car get a bit of air, and then watched him limp back towards the pits. The entire grandstand just fell silent. It was like someone hit a mute button. You heard this collective gasp, and then… nothing. It was properly heartbreaking, man. All that excitement, all that hope, just gone in a blink. You could physically feel the disappointment wash over everyone. People just stood there, mouths open, totally stunned. Some guys near me were swearing, others just looked like all the air had been let out of them. I’m not gonna lie, I felt pretty sick to my stomach. It was like the soul of the event just got ripped out right at the start.
What Came After That Sinking Feeling
His car was too banged up. Race over for Checo. Lap one. At his home race. You just couldn’t make it up. The rest of the Grand Prix, for me anyway, was kind of a letdown. Max Verstappen, he drove a solid race, like he always does, and he won. But the vibe, it just wasn’t there anymore. People were still watching, yeah, but that crazy, passionate, Checo-fueled energy had just evaporated. It became just another F1 race, not the massive party we were all geared up for.
- The crowd tried to get into it a bit, cheering for other drivers.
- But you could tell everyone was still thinking about what happened to Checo.
- There was still some decent racing to see, but the main reason we were all there was done and dusted.
Leaving the track afterwards felt a bit weird. Still tons of people, obviously, but the mood was so different from when we were all arriving. I just kept thinking how crushed Checo must have felt. All those fans, all that pressure, and for it to end like that, so quick. That’s a tough one to swallow.
So yeah, that’s my story from the Sergio Perez Mexico GP 2023. Definitely one I’ll remember, though maybe for the wrong reasons when it comes to Checo’s race. Still, being in that crowd, feeling that initial buzz, that’s something special. Just really wished the homeboy had a better outcome. Maybe next time, right?
