Mexico’s favorite racing son is back, this time with a chance to win his home race at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, while his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton battle for the season championship.

F1 hasn’t raced in Mexico City since 2019. In years past, thundering chants of "Checo! Checo!” poured out of the massive grandstands at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, even when Perez was just scrapping for a top-10 finish.

He returns this week with a car capable of a podium finish and maybe even a victory that could turn those cheers into rapture.

Red Bull is considered the favorite to win in the high altitude of Mexico City, adding a new level of pressure.