Sergio Perez is the most successful Mexican driver to have ever competed in Formula 1.
Hailing from Guadalajara, he made his F1 debut in 2011 for Sauber, spending two years with the Swiss operation.
That followed tie in Formula BMW, A1 Grand Prix, and the British Formula 3 Championship before winning five races in GP2, the forerunner to the Formula 2 championship.
During his first two seasons of F1, Perez showed promise. He finished second in the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, third in Canada, and then second again in Italy.
It was enough to tempt McLaren into offering him a contract for 2013, where he was partnered with 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
However, it was a disappointing season for Perez as McLaren’s fortunes also began to wane, and by mid-season speculation was already beginning to swirl that he’d leave the Woking squad at the end of the year.
That proved to be the case and he find refuge at Force India, nabbing third in the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix – his second start with the team (he didn’t start in Malaysia).
A long stint with the Silverstone squad followed, remaining with the operation as it battled for its survival.
Perez was instrumental in that, having Force India placed into Administration, a move that ultimately protected the staff and saw the operation sold to a consortium headed by billionaire Lawrence Stroll.
Renamed Racing Point from the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, Perez remained with the organisation until the end of the 2020 season.
That looked as though it would mark the end of the Mexican’s F1 career as he ended the year without a contract, though did score a maiden win at the Sakhir Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the truncated season.
In need of a more reliable team-mate for Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner came knocking, offering him a drive for 2021.
He quickly repaid the faith Horner had shown, winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in his sixth start for the team.
He also played an important role in the season-finale that season, defending Lewis Hamilton as he and Verstappen battled for the world championship in Abu Dhabi.
It was a performance that won Perez admirers for his resilience, willingness to sacrifice himself for the team, and the hard but fair way he engaged with the Mercedes driver. It earned him the nickname ‘Minister of Defence’.
But when Red Bull Racing’s performance improved in 2022, Perez was left in the shadow by Verstappen. He won only twice that season to his team-mate’s 15 victories, as finished third in the championship.
Still, it was enough to secure another contract, a deal that was announced shortly after his victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.
The 2023 season started brightly, winning twice in the opening four races to prompt suggestions he could challenge Verstappen for the title as Red Bull Racing dominated the year.
It wasn’t to be, and while Perez claimed second in the drivers’ championship, he didn’t win another race in a performance that left many questioning his place with the team beyond that season.
Throughout his career, Perez has developed a reputation as something of a tyre-whisperer as he eked out strong results courtesy of careful tyre management during a race.
However, qualifying has typically been a weakness, and certainly made his task in 2023 more difficult, as he simply left himself with too much to do during the grand prix itself.
