Cadillac 'honoured' to have Perez as special 300th race celebration planned for Mexico GP

General Motors president Mark Reuss has praised Cadillac Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez ahead of his 300th race in the series, insisting it is "an honour" to have the Mexican on side.

Perez will become just the seventh driver in F1 history to reach the milestone - joining Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher - and will celebrate the achievement in front of his adoring home support at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

As part of the occasion, Perez has taken to the streets for a demonstration run along the Paseo de la Reforma. He will also visit General Motors staff in the city before taking to the track in the MAC-26. Cadillac has also announced a renewed contract with the Mexican through to 2029.

Asked about the celebrations when speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange New York, Reuss said: "It's a big deal.

"It'll be Checo's 300th, really proud to have him driving for our team, and he's given us so much feedback, and expertise on someone who's run the tracks - and [Valtteri] Bottas - both giving us real feedback around the car, the track, and what the differences are and how to build the models, and how to get those simulations right as we move through and experience our first season.

"This is a big deal for him. It's also a big deal for General Motors. Our Mexico headquarters is in Mexico City, so he's going to speak to our dealers, he's going to speak to our employees, and I can't wait to go and be part of that with him, and all of his fans.

"He's just a great person, who he is as a person; because he's not only a wonderful driver, a wonderful representative for Cadillac and General Motors and Formula 1, but he's just a really good person.

Mark Reuss, ABX

Photo by: Bryan Bedder / Getty Images

"It's an honour to have him."

Perez and Bottas joined Cadillac for its maiden F1 season this term, bringing race-winning experience to the GM brand as it made its first steps into the pinnacle of single-seater racing.

And while the season has been far from smooth sailing, which was to be expected for a new team built from zero, Reuss has been impressed with the character shown by both drivers.

"They're very different," he revealed. "Any driver in any series is always, if they're really good, very different.

"In that professionalism and precision, whatever series it is, whether it's endurance, Formula 1, off-road, trucks, I don't care what it is, you can see it in the champions, and they strive to do the best, the very best they can every race and if they don't, if something happens - you can't win every race, no one can win every race - when they have a day that is unfortunate or mistakes were made, they move on from that race, and perfect their craft, whether it's with the car, or themselves or their physicality, or whatever that is.

"They drive for that perfection, and both of these gentlemen do that, and they really understand what it takes and the process. I'm very, very happy that they're patient with us to be honest.

"That takes a special person, and both of those guys have it."