Sergio Pérez

Interesting facts

Pérez started karting at age six in Guadalajara, and his family's backing from Carlos Slim's Escudería Telmex program funded his entire junior career - when he moved to Europe in 2005, he spent months living in a restaurant owned by his team manager to keep costs down. He finished runner-up to Pastor Maldonado in the 2010 GP2 championship before making his F1 debut with Sauber in 2011, where a heavy Monaco crash that same season left him with a concussion and a bruised thigh. Across seven seasons with Force India/Racing Point, known to fans as 'Checo,' he built a reputation as one of the grid's most reliable points-scorers, then finally broke through with a maiden win at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix after starting last - the first Mexican victory since Pedro Rodríguez in 1970. At Red Bull he claimed his first pole position in 2022 on his 215th start, then won a wet Monaco Grand Prix, and in 2023 added victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan on his way to finishing runner-up in the championship behind Verstappen. His aggressive driving repeatedly landed him in controversy: in 2013 Kimi Räikkönen said he 'should be punched in the face' after a Monaco clash, while McLaren teammate Jenson Button complained that Pérez would 'wiggle his wheels' at him down the straight at 300 km/h. His selfless, defensive driving in support of teammates earned him the nickname 'Minister of Defense,' reflecting years spent holding off rivals like Hamilton to protect Verstappen's title bids. A winless 2024 season ended with a mutual split from Red Bull, but he returned to the grid for 2026 with the Cadillac-Ferrari team. Sergio Pérez has been racing in Formula 1 since 2011 as a Mexican driver. He scored a total of 1638 championship points over his career. His best season was 2023, when he finished 2nd in the championship with 285 points.