As a child, Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez worked from Monday to Friday in a restaurant, where he made desserts, and on weekends he raced go-karts. The Escudería Telmex-Claro, the project of the Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, was the jump to reach Europe and compete in German and British motorsports.
The dream of Formula 1 came true in 2011, when at the age of 21 he made his debut with the Sauber team. Two seasons later, McLaren sat him in the seat left empty by Lewis Hamilton, who began the magical era at Mercedes. Force India was the destination from 2014 and a lawsuit from him, in 2018, made it possible to save the team and the jobs of 400 workers: the debt caused bankruptcy and a subsequent sale.
Checo continued to be linked to the group with the new boss, Lawrence Stroll, and in 2020 he achieved his first victory in the ‘great circus’ with Racing Point and the only one that treasures the structure that now bears the Aston Martin brand among the constructors. The joy for the success in the Sakhir GP contrasted with the dismissal at the end of the calendar. His career seemed to end and, in the absence of a proposal, the Mexican announced to his intimates that he would retire. Now, and after winning the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, he renewed his relationship with Red Bull Racing for two seasons and, if the contract is fulfilled, he will become the driver who will remain as Max’s partner the longest. Verstappen.
“Winning in Monaco is a dream for any driver and celebrating my first victory there with the announcement that I will continue with Red Bull Racing until 2024 is just the icing on the cake.” ‘Checo’ Pérez, the first Mexican and the fifth Latin American to win in the principality, communicated on social networks. The man from Guadalajara, in addition, is the driver of his country with the most victories in Formula 1 with three wins, after beating Pedro Rodríguez.
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The Perseverance Award
Winning in Monaco is a dream for any driver
The continuity ratifies the tenacity of those who managed to turn into praise the harsh criticism that Helmut Marko extended to him until not long ago, the right hand of Christian Horner and the man who fiercely manages the academy of young talents of the Austrian team based in Milton Keynes, England. Sitting Pérez in a seat for four years is a blow to Marko, who failed to forge in that time any pilot with enough character not to be devoured by the Verstappen crusher.
The Dutchman, defending champion and leader of the current Drivers’ World Championship, developed a particular relationship with Checo. None of the previous teammates came out unscathed in the connection in the Red Bull garage: Daniel Ricciardo – the only one who surpassed him in points in the two years of coexistence – showed the wear and tear, observed that Verstappen was the one chosen to return the glory to the team and chose to go to Renault; Pierre Gasly was demoted – after 12 races in which he suffered the voracity of MadMax – to Toro Rosso (today, Alpha Tauri), and Alexander Albon never managed to match his teammate’s pace in the season and a half in which they wore the same colors.
Statistics also destroy the Mexican –25 to 4 in qualifying tests and 23 to 6 in races–, but the task fits perfectly into Horner’s project.
“Being teammates with Max is a bit tricky for any driver, but Checo has the maturity to deal with it. He does not accept being the number 2 driver, but he is a magnificent team player: His level rose and he became a force to be reckoned with on the F1 grid. This year he took another step and the distance from Max was significantly reduced. His pace, his ability in the race and his experience made it not a difficult decision to renew him. I think we have a couple of drivers that can give us the biggest prizes in Formula 1, the team manager stressed.
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Verstappen and Czech, Czech and Verstappen
The granting of the position to Verstappen in the recent Spanish Grand Prix is a significant detail of the balance: although he later showed himself annoyed, Sergio Pérez complied with the team’s order. And the happiness of ‘MadMax’ for the success of his teammate in Monaco was sincere, heartfelt, spontaneous, like the jokes they star in at press conferences.
In the principality, the Dutchman ruled out that an internal battle could be generated due to the parity of the results, when the Mexican interrupted him: “We’ll still be in love, right?”, he said looking into his eyes, which disarmed the champion in laughter. “Yes, why would I have to change that?” The champion replied, before seriously returning to the answer.
The one who dynamites the harmony is Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, who slipped that RBR prioritized Pérez over his son in Monaco. The former F1 driver lashed out at those responsible for the squad: “They exerted little influence to help Max get ahead. It was seen in the strategy, which turned out completely in favor of Checo. I think they have thrown 10 points”, he alluded to an alleged loss in the championships.
Verstappen’s performance lagged behind Pérez, who outperformed him in all three practice sessions and in qualifying. The spirit of the man born in Guadalajara was so strong that he recovered from the accident in Q3 and withstood Carlos Sainz’s pursuit in the final stage of the race.
Of all the Formula 1 teams, Pérez never imagined that Red Bull Racing would be his destiny. He conquers the soulless Marko, excites Horner and solidifies the relationship with Verstappen. With his help, the Dutchman ended the hegemony of Hamilton, and now they will try to break that of Mercedes among the constructors.
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ALBERTO CANTORE
OF THE NATION, OF ARGENTINA
OF THE GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS OF AMERICA (GDA)
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