Sergio Perez is to become just the seventh F1 driver in history to achieve 300 grand prix starts during his home race in Mexico City this weekend.
Perez currently has 299 starts to his name and will reach his triple-century at his home track, becoming the first driver to reach such a milestone in front of his home crowd.
The Mexican is to follow Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, and Jenson Button in starting 300 races, with Perez actually set to enter his 304th grand prix.
The so-called 'missing races' for Perez are the 2011 Monaco and Canadian GPs, where he withdrew following a qualifying accident in Monaco, the 2014 Malaysian GP, where a gearbox issue put him out; and the 2020 British GP, where he tested positive for COVID-19.
Sebastian Vettel has been entered into 300 grands prix, and actually started 300 grand prix formation laps, but has only completed 299 and a half of them after breaking down with engine failure on the way to the grid of the 2016 Bahrain GP.
Hamilton is also closing in on 400 grands prix, with Mexico City set to be his 399th entry and start. The only grand prix he has missed since his debut in 2007 was the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, after a positive COVID test - that race, of course, being won by Perez...
Most experienced F1 drivers
| Driver | Entries | Starts | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Alonso | 446 | 443 | 2001, 2003-2018, 2021-present |
| Lewis Hamilton | 398 | 398 | 2007-present |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 353 | 349 | 2001-2009, 2012-2021 |
| Rubens Barrichello | 326 | 323 | 1993-2011 |
| Michael Schumacher | 308 | 307 | 1991-2006, 2010-2012 |
| Jenson Button | 311 | 306 | 2000-2016, 2017 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 300 | 299 | 2007-2022 |
| Sergio Perez | 303 | 299 | 2011-2024, 2026-present |
| Felipe Massa | 272 | 269 | 2002, 2004-2017 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 272 | 267 | 2010, 2012-2020, 2022, 2023-present |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the United States GP and look ahead to Mexico City! Red Bull's return of gearbox gremlins is a lead discussion, as is Kimi Antonelli being just days away from becoming world champion.
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