diff --git a/src/bokeh/driving.py b/src/bokeh/driving.py
index 1a6aab26773..1aa5cd89c41 100644
--- a/src/bokeh/driving.py
+++ b/src/bokeh/driving.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def update(i):
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging # isort:skip
+
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@ def f(i: float) -> float:
     return partial(force, sequence=_advance(f))
 
 def repeat(sequence: Sequence[int]) -> partial[Callable[[], None]]:
-    ''' Return a driver function that can advance a repeated of values.
+    """ Return a driver function that can advance a repeated of values.
+
 
     .. code-block:: none
 
@@ -164,10 +166,12 @@ def repeat(sequence: Sequence[int]) -> partial[Callable[[], None]]:
     Args:
         sequence (seq) : a sequence of values for the driver to bounce
 
-    '''
+    """
+    # Precompute len(sequence)
     N = len(sequence)
-    def f(i: int) -> int:
-        return sequence[i%N]
+    # Use a function instead of a closure to avoid slow closure cell dereference
+    def f(i: int, sequence=sequence, N=N) -> int:
+        return sequence[i % N]
     return partial(force, sequence=_advance(f))
 
 def sine(w: float, A: float = 1, phi: float = 0, offset: float = 0) -> partial[Callable[[], None]]:
@@ -200,7 +204,7 @@ def f(i: float) -> float:
 T = TypeVar("T")
 
 def _advance(f: Callable[[int], T]) -> Iterator[T]:
-    ''' Yield a sequence generated by calling a given function with
+    """ Yield a sequence generated by calling a given function with
     successively incremented integer values.
 
     Args:
@@ -210,7 +214,8 @@ def _advance(f: Callable[[int], T]) -> Iterator[T]:
     Yields:
         f(i) where i increases each call
 
-    '''
+    """
+    # Use a local variable for faster 'i' access
     i = 0
     while True:
         yield f(i)