Alright, so I got really into Formula 1 a while back, and the name “Checo Perez” kept popping up. I was like, “Who’s this guy?” So I started digging. This was a few years ago, when he wasn’t quite as big of a deal as he is now, you know? I mean, the dude is a multiple Grand Prix winner now, but back then I was mostly wondering about his early career and how did he get to where he is now.
So I began my little research project. I watched old race footage, read old articles, that sort of thing. Turns out, Checo’s full name is Sergio Michel Checo Pérez Mendoza, that’s a mouthful, right? I found out he is a Mexican, a racing driver who made his Formula One debut back in 2011 with Sauber. He was just a kid! It was like reading a movie script or something.
What really caught my eye was how early he started racing. The guy was behind the wheel of a kart when he was just six years old! Can you believe that? And by nine, he was already winning in the junior categories. It’s crazy!
I created a timeline to keep track of everything. Here’s how it looked:
- Age 6: Starts karting.
- Age 9: Winning in junior karting categories.
- Age 14: Moves to single-seater cars in the US. Competed in the US-based Skip Barber National Championship.
- Age 20: Joins Sauber’s F1 team.
And then he became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy! Man, this guy was moving up fast. I was kind of getting a bit excited at this point. I found out he raced for McLaren for one season. That part of his career was kind of a rough patch, from what I gathered.
But then he joined Force India. That’s where things started to look up for him. He even got his first F1 podium at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. The more I read, the more impressed I became. I mean, this guy has some serious skills. And now he’s with Red Bull, racing alongside Max Verstappen. It is crazy how much he accomplished, the guy is a legend now.
I found an article saying that Christian Horner has given a further insight into Sergio Perez’s exit from Red Bull, so it seems like his career is still developing, not sure what’s going to happen. Anyway, it’s been super interesting to follow his journey. It just goes to show what you can achieve with talent, hard work, and maybe a bit of luck. I mean he was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 2023, who knows, maybe one day he will be the champion!
Checo Perez’s career is amazing!
It’s like a movie. You got the early talent, the challenges, the victories. It’s a great story. It’s been awesome learning about him and watching his races. Hope you guys found this little deep dive interesting too!