Sergio Pérez Mendoza, nicknamed Checo (born January 26, 1990 in Guadalajara), is currently a driver for Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. Pérez was one of four drivers who débuted in 2011 for Sauber, with the others being Pastor Maldonado, Paul di Resta and Jérôme d'Ambrosio. He is the first Mexican driver in Formula One in 30 years since Héctor Rebaque in 1981. He scored his first podium at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, after fighting for the lead with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, being the first Mexican to do so in more than 40 years. He scored his first pole position in the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in surprise fashion narrowly beating Charles Leclerc.
Pérez drove for McLaren in 2013, and was dropped from the team at the end of year. He joined the Force India team for the following season, with 11 as his racing number. He remained with the team as it evolved into Racing Point in 2019, and took his first race victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, the first for a Mexican since Pedro Rodríguez.
As Racing Point evolved into Aston Martin in 2021, with Sebastian Vettel replacing him, Perez was announced to be racing in Red Bull for the season.
Formula One Career[]
2011[]
In October 2010, it was announced that Pérez would drive for the Sauber team in 2011 alongside Kamui Kobayashi. In his first race, in Australia, he finished seventh, stopping for tyres only once. Unfortunately, he and his team-mate, who finished one place behind, were disqualified due to a rear wing infringement, which meant that Pérez would become one of the very few drivers to be disqualified from their first Formula One race, along with Robert Kubica, Martin Brundle, Eppie Wietzes and Stefan Bellof. It was also the first race disqualification since Lewis Hamilton at the same circuit in 2009.
In Malaysia, Pérez, whose dream season had been turned into a nightmare, was suffering even more when his car was struck by a piece of debris, damaging the Sauber and causing Pérez to retire. In China, he finished outside the points, in 17th, being penalized with a "drive through" and "stop and go". In Turkey, Pérez, who still had no points, finished again outside the points, in 14th. In Spain, Pérez scored his first points of the season, finishing 9th and scoring two points. However, this would have been eight points had the young Mexican not been disqualified in Australia. In Monaco, only 23 cars started as Pérez had suffered a terrible accident in the third qualifying session. Pérez had just exited the tunnel when his Sauber crashed into the barrier separating the track and escape road. He suffered a sprained thigh and concussion and was unable to start the race. In Canada, Pérez was replaced by ex-Sauber driver and current McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa, as Pérez was still feeling unwell after his Monaco accident. de la Rosa finished 12th in the race. At Valencia, Pérez recovered from his injuries and was well enough to race. He finished 11th, just outside the points.
2012[]
Perez driving the C31
2012 turned out to be Pérez's best season with Sauber, with three podiums, including a couple of second place finishes in Malaysia and Italy. He was the first Mexican on an F1 podium since Pedro Rodriguez in 1970, and his podium at Malaysia was Sauber's first podium since the 2003 United States Grand Prix, but also the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix if BMW Sauber counts.
In the former, he briefly led the race (laps 14-15 and 40-41) and lost out when he ran wide into the gravel, allowing Fernando Alonso to win. In the latter, he finished behind Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, and all three drivers on the podium were eliminated on the first lap of the previous round, the Belgian Grand Prix, thanks to Romain Grosjean's antics which earned him a ban from the Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton, Grosjean and Pérez also finished on the podium together in Canada.
2013[]
Pérez moved to McLaren for 2013 after Hamilton departed to Mercedes to replace 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher.
In a horrible season for McLaren, Pérez did not regain his winning form of 2012 and could not finish any higher than fifth, despite finishing every race of the season, while his more experienced team-mate Jenson Button finished fourth in the last race of the season in Brazil. Pérez and Button also starred in the McLaren-produced cartoon Tooned, focusing on the team's 50th anniversary.
Pérez was dropped from McLaren after only a single season for the British outfit, and replaced by Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen.
2014[]
Pérez made his Force India debut in 2014, partnering Nico Hülkenberg, who returns to the team after a year off. The Mexican became the team's first non-European driver.
In the third race at Bahrain, he scored his first podium since 2012 and the team's second podium since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix where Giancarlo Fisichella scored. He described the podium as a special podium.
Pérez was involved in a huge crash at Canada with Felipe Massa after a contact. He was deemed a 5-place grid penalty for his next race and the penalty was upheld by the Austrian stewards.
Pérez had another big crash at Hungary when he spun out at the final corner on lap 23. He later admitted that it was his fault that he crashed into the wall.
2015[]
Pérez continued to drive for Force India in 2015, but the start to the season was not a successful start to him. He only finished tenth in Australia, and in the next few races, he could only manage to score further more points three times, with a best finish of seventh at Monaco.
As the VJM08 was upgraded to a B-spec car for the British Grand Prix, he started to impress the team with a few decent results and a third place at the Russian Grand Prix. He finished the 2015 season in 9th with 78 points, and ahead of his teammate Nico Hülkenberg.
It was Pérez's best Formula One season to date.
2016[]
The 2016 season for Pérez was not another good start in the first few races of the season, finishing outside of the points until he could manage a point in Russia, finishing ninth.
At the Monaco Grand Prix, he managed to finish on the podium ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, finishing third in the race. He also finished on the podium at Azerbaijan, overtaking Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen in Turn 1 at the final lap of the race.
At the Austrian Grand Prix, as he was running 10th in the final lap of the race, he missed out on points due to a brake failure which he ended up crashing out and hitting the barriers at turn 3.
2017[]
2018[]
2019[]
2020[]
Before the British Grand Prix, Pérez was tested positive for COVID-19 and was requested to miss the race in order to self-isolate,[1] having been to visit his hospitalised mother in Mexico.[2] While unconfirmed at the time, he was also suspected to miss the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix due to United Kingdom government regulations advising victims of COVID-19 to self-isolate for ten days, and thus he was confirmed to still test positive for that race.[3] In the time being, Hülkenberg was assigned to take his place.[4] Perez was then tested negative in time before the Spanish Grand Prix.[5]
He took his first victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, after Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and George Russell had pit stop troubles during the second safety car period.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Career | |||||
| 2010–2012 | Ferrari Driver Academy | ||||
| Senior Career | |||||
| 2010 |  BMW Sauber F1 Team
|
BMW Sauber-Ferrari | Test Driver | ||
| 2011 |  Sauber F1 Team
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Sauber-Ferrari | 14 | 16th | Report |
| 2012 | Sauber F1 Team
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Sauber-Ferrari | 66 | 10th | Report |
| 2013 |  Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
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McLaren-Mercedes | 49 | 11th | Report |
| 2014 |  Sahara Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | 59 | 10th | Report |
| 2015 | Sahara Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | 78 | 9th | Report |
| 2016 | Sahara Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | 101 | 7th | Report |
| 2017 | Sahara Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | 100 | 7th | Report |
| 2018 | Sahara Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | 62 | 8th | Report |
| Racing Point Force India F1 Team
|
Force India-Mercedes | ||||
| 2019 | SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team
|
Racing Point-Mercedes | 52 | 10th | Report |
| 2020 | BWT Racing Point F1 Team
|
Racing Point-BWT Mercedes | 125 | 4th | Report |
| 2021 |  Red Bull Racing Honda
|
Red Bull-Honda | 190 | 4th | Report |
| 2022 | Oracle Red Bull Racing
|
Red Bull | 85 | 3rd | Report |
Career Statistics[]
Correct as of the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix
| Entries | 223 |
| Starts | 219 |
| Pole Positions | 1 |
| Front Row Starts | 2 |
| Race Wins | 2 |
| Podiums | 18 |
| Fastest Laps | 7 |
| Points | 981 |
| Laps Raced | 12177 |
| Distance Raced | 61749 km (38369 mi) |
| Races Led | 14 |
| Laps Led | 121 |
| Distance Led | 595 km (370 mi) |
Race Wins[]
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix |
| 2 | 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Pts | Pos |
| 2011 | 
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14 | 16th | |||
| C | DSQ | Ret | 17th | 14th | 9th | DNS [6] |
PO [6] |
11th | 7th | 11th | 15th | Ret | Ret | 10th | 8th | 16th | 10th | 11th | 13th | ||||||
| 2012 |
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66 | 10th | |||
| 8th | 2nd | 11th | 11th | Ret | 11th | 3rd | 9th | Ret | 6th | 14th | Ret | 2nd | 10th | Ret | 11th | Ret | 15th | 11th | Ret | ||||||
| 2013 |
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49 | 11th | ||||
| 11th | 9th | 11th | 6th | 9th | 16th | 11th | 20th | 8th | 9th | 11th | 12th | 8th | 10th | 15th | 5th | 9th | 7th | 6th | |||||||
| 2014 |
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59 | 10th | ||||
| 10th | DNS | 3rd | 9th | 9th | Ret | 11th | 6th | 11th | 10th | Ret | 8th | 7th | 7th | 10th | 10th | Ret | 15th | 7th | |||||||
| 2015 |
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78 | 9th | ||||
| 10th | 13th | 11th | 8th | 13th | 7th | 11th | 9th | 9th | Ret | 5th | 6th | 7th | 12th | 3rd | 5th | 8th | 12th | 5th | |||||||
| 2016 |
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101 | 7th | ||
| 13th | 16th | 11th | 9th | 7th | 3rd | 10th | 3rd | 17th | 6th | 11th | 10th | 5th | 8th | 8th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 10th | 4th | 8th | |||||
| 2017 |
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100 | 7th | |||
| 7th | 9th | 7th | 6th | 4th | 13th | 5th | Ret | 7th | 9th | 8th | 17th | 9th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 7th | 9th | 7th | ||||||
| 2018 |
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62 | 8th | ||
| 11th | 16th | 12th | 3rd | 9th | 12th | 13th | Ret | 7th | 10th | 7th | 14th | 5th | 7th | 16th | 10th | 7th | 8th | Ret | 10th | 8th | |||||
| 2019 |
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52 | 10th | ||
| 13th | 10th | 8th | 6th | 15th | 12th | 12th | 12th | 11th | 17th | Ret | 11th | 6th | 7th | Ret | 7th | 8th | 7th | 10th | 9th | 7th | |||||
| 2020 |
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125 | 4th | ||||||
| 6th | 6th | 7th | WD | ILL | 5th | 10th | 10th | 5th | 4th | 4th | 7th | 6th | 2nd | 18th | 1st | Ret | |||||||||
| 2021 |
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190 | 4th | |
| 5th | 11th | 4th | 5th | 4th | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 16th | Ret | 19th [7] |
8th | 5th | 9th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 17th | 15th† | ||||
| 2022 |
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85 | 3rd |
| 18th† | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | C | |||||||||||||||||||
| Key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | ||
| 1st | Winner | Ret | Retired | ||
| 2nd | Podium finish | DSQ | Disqualified | ||
| 3rd | DNQ | Did not qualify | |||
| 5th | Points finish | DNPQ | Did not pre-qualify | ||
| 14th | Non-points finish | TD | Test driver | ||
| Italics | Scored point(s) for Fastest Lap | DNS | Did not start | ||
| 18th† | Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) | NC | Non-classified finish (<90% race distance) | ||
| 4thP | Qualified for pole position | [+] More Symbols | |||
Notes[]
- ↑ "Sergio Perez tests positive for COVID-19, will miss British GP". www.motorsport.com. 30 July 2020. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sergio-perez-confirmed-covid-19-positive/4846474/. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ↑ "Perez 'extremely sad' as he reveals positive Covid-19 test followed visit to injured mother in Mexico". formula1.com. 31 July 2020. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.perez-extremely-sad-as-he-reveals-positive-covid-19-test-followed-visit-to.HA8tKdcBovOHZp3TGPoi4.html. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ↑ "70th Anniversary Grand Prix: Nico Hulkenberg to stand in for Sergio Perez again". BBC.com. 7 August 2020. https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53691818. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ↑ Smith, Luke (31 July 2020). "Racing Point awaiting clarification for Perez's F1 return". https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/racing-point-perez-quarantine-silverstone/4846999/. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ↑ "Sergio Perez: Racing Point driver to return at Spanish Grand Prix after negative Covid-19 test". BBC Sport. 13 August 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53763779. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Perez was injured in qualifying for the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix. At the following race in Canada, Perez withdrew following free practice as a result of his injuries. He returned for the 2011 European Grand Prix.
- ↑ Race stopped after 2/44 Laps. Half points awarded
| V T E |  Sergio Pérez
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Seasons 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 • 2020 • 2021 • 2022 | ||
| Season Reports 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 • 2020 • 2021 • 2022 | ||
| Teams Sauber (2011-2012) • McLaren (2013) • Force India (2014-2018) • Racing Point (2018-2020) • Red Bull (2021-present) | ||
| Other pages Category | ||
| V T E |  Sauber F1 Team
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Former drivers Ericsson · Leclerc · Wehrlein · Nasr · Hülkenberg · Pérez · Kobayashi · Kubica · Heidfeld · Räikkönen · more | ||
| Former Personnel Frédéric Vasseur · Pascal Picci · Alex Sauber · Eric Gandelin · Timothée Guerin · Axel Kruse · Beat Zehnder | ||
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| See also BMW Sauber · Alfa Romeo | ||
| V T E |  McLaren Racing
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Founder Bruce McLaren | ||
| Notable Personnel Éric Boullier · Ron Dennis · Tim Goss · Jonathan Neale · Neil Oatley · Peter Prodromou | ||
| Former Notable Personnel John Barnard · Gordon Coppuck · Pat Fry · Norbert Haug · Robin Herd · Paddy Lowe · Neil Martin · Teddy Mayer · Sam Michael · Gordon Murray · Adrian Newey · Steve Nichols · Jo Ramirez · Nicholas Tombazis · Martin Whitmarsh | ||
| Drivers 3.  Daniel Ricciardo4. Lando Norris
| ||
World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi (1974) · Lewis Hamilton (2008) · James Hunt (1976) ·  Mika Häkkinen (1998, 1999) · Niki Lauda (1984) ·  Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989) · Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991)
| ||
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| Full results | ||
| V T E |  Force India
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Personnel Vijay Mallya · Otmar Szafnauer · Andrew Green | |||
| Notable drivers Giancarlo Fisichella · Vitantonio Liuzzi · Adrian Sutil · Paul di Resta · Nico Hülkenberg · Sergio Pérez · Esteban Ocon | |||
| Cars VJM01 · VJM02 · VJM03 · VJM04 · VJM05 · VJM06 · VJM07 · VJM08 · VJM09 · VJM10 · VJM11 | |||
| V T E |  Red Bull Racing
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drivers 1.  Max Verstappen · 11. Sergio Pérez
| |||
| Personnel Christian Horner · Adrian Newey · Dietrich Mateschitz · Helmut Marko | |||
| Former drivers Mark Webber · David Coulthard · Scott Speed · Robert Doornbos · Vitantonio Liuzzi · Christian Klien · Sebastian Vettel · Daniil Kvyat · Daniel Ricciardo · Pierre Gasly · Alexander Albon | |||
| World Champions Max Verstappen (2021) | |||
| Cars RB1 · RB2 · RB3 · RB4 · RB5 · RB6 · RB7 · RB8 · RB9 · RB10 · RB11 · RB12 · RB13 · RB14 · RB15 · RB16 · RB16B · RB18 | |||
| See also Toro Rosso · AlphaTauri · Red Bull Ring | |||
| Full Results | |||
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