Sergio Perez is one of the top drivers on the 2024 Formula 1 grid with motorsport in his blood, so here is everything that you need to know on the current Red Bull Racing star.
The Mexican joined Red Bull in 2021 to replace Alex Albon after losing his Racing Point drive as they became Aston Martin. It marked a return to the front of the F1 grid for Perez, having driven for McLaren in 2013. He had predominantly excelled only as a leading midfield driver.
Perez established a reputation in Formula 1 for being extremely strong at managing his tyres and extending stints. While his debut Grand Prix victory at the 2020 Sakhir GP saw Perez put a first-lap incident behind him to go from last place to first on his 190th outing in Formula 1.
How Sergio Perez got into F1
Perez got into F1 in 2011 when Sauber realised his potential after finishing second to Pastor Maldonado for the 2010 GP2 Series title. It was the premier feeder series to F1 from 2005 to 2016, before the championship rebranded as Formula 2 from the 2017 campaign to present.
Sauber retained Perez for two years before McLaren selected him to replace Lewis Hamilton when the Briton moved to Mercedes. The Woking squad sought to snap Perez up having put Sauber on the podium at the 2012 Malaysian GP (P2), Canadian GP (P3) and Italian GP (P2).
Hinwil, Switzerland-based Sauber almost saw Perez win in Sepang, too, as he charged from P9 on the grid to fight Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard would win for Ferrari after Perez had a slight off at Turn 14 after Sauber told him to ‘be careful’ and protect the points for second.
But McLaren struggling to produce a competitive car in 2013 saw Perez leave after one term. His best finish as teammates with Jenson Button was his P5 at the Indian GP. But Force India helped to bring the best out of Perez again and saw him finish the 2014 Bahrain GP in third.
Perez spent six years in Silverstone as Force India turned into Racing Point during 2018. His final year racing for the team based next to the home of the British GP even saw Perez take fourth in the 2020 drivers’ standings. Perez later sealed second place with Red Bull in 2023.
Sauber promoting Perez to Formula 1 in 2011 marked the reward of a lengthy journey racing single-seaters since 2004. He only spent two seasons in go-karts in Mexico and did not win a single title. His first title was the 2007 British Formula 3 International Series, National class.
His National class honours further continue to represent Perez’s only championship triumph to date. Perez even only finished in the top three of another championship when he sealed second in the 2010 GP2 season before claiming third in Formula 1 with Red Bull come 2022.
Carlos Slim Domit and Antonio Perez Garibay were key to Sergio Perez’s rise
What helped to propel Perez’s junior career and his path into Formula 1 were his ties to the son of one of the world’s richest men, Carlos Slim Helu. Perez met Carlos Slim Domit whilst racing go-karts after his father, Antonio Perez Garibay, pushed him to pursue motorsports.
Antonio Perez Garibay – commonly known as Tono – was a racing driver himself but hung up his gloves after Checo was born. Tono even brought forward Perez’s birth date by a week as the original date clashed with his obligations at the 1990 edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Tono would move into managing racing drivers after his son – full name Sergio Michel Perez Mendoza – was born. His clientele included the Mexican IndyCar driver, Adrian Fernandez, whom Tono got Carlos Slim Helu to sponsor. Their personal relationship would then prosper.
But who really is Perez and what is the Red Bull driver’s life outside of Formula 1 like? F1 Oversteer takes a look at everything you need to know about the Mexican racing driver…
How old is Sergio Perez? What is the Red Bull driver’s age?
At the time of writing, Red Bull star Sergio Perez is 34 years old and was born on January 26, 1990. His parents are dad, Antonio Perez Garibay, and mother, Marilu Perez. Sergio has two siblings with sister, Paola Perez Mendoza, and his ex-stock car driver brother, Antonio Perez.
Where was Sergio Perez born? What is his nationality?
Sergio Perez is Mexican and was born in Guadalajara but lives in Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast today. He also envisages living in Madrid, Spain in the future as the Spanish and Mexican cultures are quite alike. But Perez would also like to return to Guadalajara after F1.
Why is Sergio Perez called Checo? How did he earn the nickname?
The origins of Sergio Perez’s nickname ‘Checo’ are nothing unique as he shared in 2013: “In Mexico, all Sergio are automatically given the nickname ‘Checo’. There’s no story behind it.”
But Max Verstappen also gave Perez the nickname ‘the minister of defence’ for his fierce bid to impede Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP when Verstappen won his first F1 title.
Sergio Perez’s net worth
Sergio Perez is among the richest drivers on the 2024 Formula 1 grid with a net worth as of January 2024 of $75m (£59m), per PlanetF1. The Mexican has amassed his wealth through various personal sponsorship deals over the years, plus carefully tracking the stock market.
Speaking to Red Bull’s official website in April 2021, Perez even admitted that the first app he checks in the morning is CNBC to review his investments. He said: “I really enjoy looking at the stock market and I even own some stocks, too.
“If you look at it every single day, you go through a lot of emotions. One day is very good, one day is very bad. And it’s like with racing: it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s where you finish. Overall, I just really like it and, generally, I think it’s good to invest.”
Perez also used his assets to set up a charity called The Checo Perez Foundation in 2012. It helps vulnerable groups, specifically children, and gave houses to residents affected by the 7.2 magnitude Oaxaca earthquake in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountainous region in 2018.
January 2024 also saw Perez launch his own team for the inaugural E1 World Championship season. He further hired Spaniard, Dani Clos, and Italian, Vicky Piria, to pilot the team’s 50-knot electric RaceBird boat. The RaceBird uses a 150kw (200bhp) Mercury outboard engine.
What football team does Sergio Perez support?
Sergio Perez is a huge football fan and even chose his official Formula 1 driver number from connections to his favourite team, Club America. The Mexican chose #11 as it was the shirt number that Ivan Zamorano wore during his final season at the Mexico City club in 2002/03.
Zamorano was a childhood hero of Perez, who chose to run with #11 when he started out in go-karts. Perez has since stuck with that number throughout his racing career when able to select his own digits. F1 began letting drivers select their permanent race numbers in 2014.
Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 career stats
As of the end of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has entered 260 Grand Prix and started 257 races since his debut at the 2011 Australian GP. But his first win did not come until the 2020 Sakhir GP and his first pole came at the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP.
The post Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside of F1 from net worth to nickname appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
