Perez 'incredibly excited' to finally race at home with winning car

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Sergio Perez is "incredibly excited" to head to his home race this week in Mexico City with a team and car capable of enabling him to achieve glory.

The Red Bull charger scored his second podium in succession last time out in Austin, where teammate Max Verstappen conquered his 18th career win in F1.

The results obviously bodes well for Red Bull's chances at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a historically strong venue for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

But racing on home soil will instill the team's local hero with an extra dose of motivation.

"Incredibly excited, I am so much looking forward to it," said Perez about his home race.

"My country has been so supportive of me throughout my career and I always love the chance to race in front of those fans.

"People are always blown away by the support I receive here in Mexico but they have always backed me, since many years ago, when my career was first starting.

"It’s just great to finally have a Team and a car that we can dream of a victory in my home country.

"We have a chance to make a big result happen this weekend, so I will prepare as well as I can and we will see what we are able to achieve."

Verstappen reckons Red Bull will have a lot more support in Mexico City than in previous years thanks to Checo, which in turn should spur on the bulls as a whole.

But the Dutchman also knows all too well that he'll be entering this week a crucial period that can make or break his titles chances against arch-rival Lewis Hamilton.

©RedBull

"I know we will have a lot more fans now with Checo in the team, so I’m looking forward to seeing all of them at the track and of course hopefully we can have a competitive weekend," commented Verstappen.

"I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited to get going, although I know the triple header is going to be busy!

"It’s incredibly important for myself and the team to try and nail the next three races now that we are fighting for the championship.

"There will be a lot of travelling time and time differences but I’m looking forward to being back on track in Mexico and Brazil and I’m looking forward to the challenge of racing on the new track in Qatar."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.