Christian Horner Once Hailed Golden Boy as a Dream to Manage. [127], At his home race in Mexico, Prez qualified fourth and overtook George Russell to once again finish on the podium in third place, behind Lewis Hamilton and teammate Verstappen. In Japan he took eighth place, before a sixteenth-place finish in Korea, tenth in India, and an eleventh-place finish in Abu Dhabi. [81] Many of these points finishes came from low initial grid positions, including a 7th-place finish in Italy after starting 18th, 8th in Japan from 17th, and 10th in the United States[82] after starting from the pit lane.[83]. After a fifteenth place in Hungary, he retired in Belgium with suspension failure. The ambiance between you guys has been fantastic he says you owe him a beer for Abu Dhabi, Oh, Ill pay a lot of beers. However, this iconic defense by Checo cant take credit away from his attacking skills! Sergio Perez He ended the season in 8th place in the championship with 62 points, finishing ahead of teammate Ocon and being the only non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull driver to finish on the podium that season. He said: "Its not really that complicated or interesting. Its not really that complicated or interesting. [65] At the Austrian Grand Prix, Prez set his third fastest lap of his career whilst also giving Force India their third fastest lap in their history. The nickname is a shortened version of Prezs last name, a trend common to many drivers across the world. Formula One F1 United States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. October 23, 2022 Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez during the drivers parade ahead of the race REUTERS/Brian Snyder. The Mexican had struggled for nearly a decade, jumping multiple ships on the grid, until he found his golden season at Racing Point in 2020 and subsequent relatively successful seasons at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. Its not actually that complicated or exciting, he said. Formula One F1 United States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. October 23, 2022 Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez during the drivers parade ahead of the race REUTERS/Brian Snyder. With the race boiling down to a final lap title shootout, Red Bull did not want to risk Perez stopping out on track. It was confirmed that he would also miss the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, as he had again tested positive for COVID-19. Its not really that complicated or interesting. The Formula 1 World Championship It is the main international motorsport competition, the most popular and also the most prestigious. [68] At the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix during the first practice session he suffered a rear suspension failure and lost control of his car which led to a barrel roll that destroyed his car, he was able to walk away from the accident unscathed. [108] Prez retired from the race a few laps from the end because of suspected engine problems. Though last year, Christian Horner in Abu Dhabi told Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly what Checo means in Mexico. He was temporarily replaced by Nico Hlkenberg. He managed to reset his RB16B before having to start the race from the pitlane.[99]. Prez drove for the Campos Grand Prix team in the 200809 GP2 Asia Series, partnering Russian driver Vitaly Petrov. Sergio Perezs F1 career has been a show of continuous and rigorous hard work, and it would be absolutely justified if we said that he has aged like a fine wine! This performance also earned him a seat at Red Bull in late 2021, putting a lot of pressure on him. He recovered to 3rd in the sprint race. Subsequently, the team decided to replace Prez with Kevin Magnussen for the 2014 season.[8][9]. reasons why Sergio "Checo" Perez [24], On 4 October 2010, Sauber announced that Prez would join the team in 2011, replacing Nick Heidfeld. The race was shortened to 59 laps because of the 3 hour time limit due to safety cars and an hour-long delay. I just did a hot lap with Sergio Prez. In 1997, he participated in the karting Youth Class, where he was the youngest driver in the category and earned a win and five podium finishes and finished fourth in the championship. Get the Checo Perez mug. Sergio Perez [128], During the next round in So Paulo, Prez qualified ninth under tricky circumstances, elevating himself to fifth place during the Sprint race. : $12 million salaried Red Bull star reveals how he got his nickname, FIA propose Wind Tunnel time punishment to Red Bull for $1.8 Million Budget cap breach, Christian Horner in Abu Dhabi told Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly what Checo means in Mexico, 33-year-old Daniel Ricciardo feels age wont hurt hopes of returning to F1 in 2024. being short for Joseph. He was born as the youngest child of Antonio Prez Garibay and Maril Mendoza de Prez in Guadalajara, Jalisco. And all of that revived his nickname, making him popular amongst Red Bull and Max Verstappens fans as Checo.. Despite having to start from seventh on the grid he made his way up to fourth before passing Kimi Rikknen on the last lap of the race for third, making it his second podium in three races.[71][72]. Responding to the question, Perez said, "In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname 'Checo'. The Mexican racer has an elder sister Paola and his elder brother Antonio, who is a retired stock car racing driver. Will his performance keep up with his age as it has so far? Sergio Perez reveals why he is named Checo The Mexican race driver back in 2013 explained why his famous name called him. Prez confirmed on 13 November 2013 that he would be leaving McLaren at the end of the season to be replaced by Kevin Magnussen. He passed Norris early but lost a position to Bottas after a slow pitstop. And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. was operated for. The reason for shortening Sergio to Checo is because sometimes little kids (younger brothers/cousins) have trouble pronouncing names correctly and in spanish Ser-gio could be heard as Che-co by a kid.. same as how Ig-na-cio can be heard as Na-cho.. etc 14 zushimikudyo Valtteri Bottas 8 mo. Throughout most of the race, Prez successfully prevented Leclerc from re-overtaking him. The session was suspended, and marshals and medical personnel extricated Prez from his car. But six years on, youll be amazed by the things you still dont know about Force Indias Mexican driver. Prez scored his fourth win at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix. After a safety car, he recovered and was battling Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for second, where he ultimately finished. The reason given by the Red Bull superstar is not as interesting as it was thought. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are The podium was Hamilton, Prez and Sebastian Vettel. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Force India was put into administration. In qualifying, Prez received a tow from his teammate on his final flying lap and qualified second, ahead of Leclerc. He later criticised the Venezuelan, claiming "Everybody has concerns about him" before adding, "He is a driver who doesn't know that we are risking our lives and has no respect at all". Why until he was successfully sued by the singer 17 times, when he cleverly changed a letter and outwitted his former inspiration. Why In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. The nickname is a shortened version of Prezs last name, a trend common to many drivers across the world. In response, all three drivers burst out laughing. He also became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy scheme in October 2010.[26]. ago In the Australian Grand Prix, he finished 11th but was moved up to 10th to get his first point for Force India due to Daniel Ricciardo being disqualified for breaching fuel limits. Responding to the question, Perez said, "In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname 'Checo'. Prez raced for Red Bull Racing in 2021, replacing Alex Albon - who was demoted to the role of reserve and test driver [96] - and partnering Max Verstappen. Checo Sorry, theres no story behind it!, And while Checo is one of his most commonly used nicknames by his fans, there was another name that emerged after Max Verstappen won the championship in 2021. Prez scored the 20th podium of his Formula One career. [103], At the 2021 French Grand Prix, Prez qualified in 4th place, starting behind Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. [6], Up until 2012, Prez was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. On Lap 31, after not being allowed to switch with Verstappen by the team, Prez overtook Russell on the medium tyres when his teammate pitted and took the lead of the race, Charles Leclerc having retired earlier. Sorry, theres no story behind it! I really think I drive fairly. Verstappen didn't let Prez back past, which left Prez disappointed. Its not really that complicated or interesting. Sergio Perez responded to the topic of why he is known as Checo in 2013. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Prez qualified 5th, citing not driving the car in FP1, where he was replaced by Jri Vips. Why did Sergio Perez retire from the In 2000, he raced in the Shifter 80cc Championship and also participated in three races in the Shifter 125cc category, which was part of the Telmex Challenge. The best drivers in the [7] Prez joined McLaren for the 2013 season, but the team did not score a single podium finish. Prez stayed at Red Bull for the 2022 season. He would play racing games on the setup, which had a real-life car seat, steering wheel, and pedals for acceleration and brake. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports. Sergio Perez responded to the topic of why he is known as Checo in 2013. Sorry, theres nothing to it! Similarly to how Jim stands for James in English, Checo stands for Sergio in Mexican Spanish. At the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Prez qualified in 7th place, starting in 6th place due to a grid penalty for Lando Norris. He achieved his first pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, on his 215th race start in Formula 1; therefore breaking the record for most races before a first pole position and also becoming the first Mexican driver to achieve a pole position in F1. At the Turkish Grand Prix, he finished third to score another podium finish, after an "intense" wheel to wheel battle with Lewis Hamilton in the wet.[106][107]. At the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix Prez performed several aggressive overtaking moves, before retiring after colliding with Kimi Rikknen. In a post-season video, it was Max who quipped about Checo. [41] He finished outside the points in the next three races despite recording the fastest lap in Monaco,[42] before Prez achieved his second career podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, finishing the race in third place, having started fifteenth. He followed that up with fourteenth in Turkey, before a ninth-place finish in Spain ahead of teammate Kamui Kobayashi in tenth to take his first Formula One points.