Background and career
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (Latin American Spanish: [ˈseɾxjo ˈpeɾes] ; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver who competes in Formula One for Cadillac. Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2023 with Red Bull, and has won six Grands Prix across 15 seasons. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Pérez began competitive kart racing aged six. Graduating to junior formulae in 2004, Pérez won his first championship in the national class of the 2007 British Formula 3 International Series. He progressed to the GP2 Series in 2009, finishing runner-up to Pastor Maldonado the following season with Addax. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2010 to 2012, Pérez signed for Sauber in 2011 to partner Kamui Kobayashi, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, where both were disqualified for an illegal rear wing. Pérez found greater success for the team in 2012, achieving his maiden podium finish in Malaysia, and repeating this feat in Canada and Italy. For the 2013 season, Pérez moved to McLaren, replacing Lewis Hamilton to partner Jenson Button. After a podium-less season for McLaren, Pérez signed with Force India in 2014. He scored five podiums with the team before their re-branding to Racing Point mid-way through the 2018 season. Pérez placed fourth in the championship with Racing Point in 2020, taking his maiden win at the Sakhir Grand Prix, having been in last-place at the end of the first lap. Replaced by Sebastian Vettel at the re-branded Aston Martin for 2021, Pérez signed for Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen; he took his first victory for the team at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Pérez took further wins in 2022 at the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix, amongst his maiden pole position in Saudi Arabia, finishing the season third overall. Pérez finished runner-up to Verstappen in the 2023 World Drivers' Championship, after additional victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Following a winless 2024 campaign, Pérez and Red Bull mutually agreed to terminate his contract, having contributed to two World Constructors' Championships. He returned with Cadillac in 2026. Pérez has achieved six race wins, three pole positions, 12 fastest laps and 39 podiums in Formula One. He holds the Formula One records for the most starts before a race win (190) and the most races before a pole position (219). Pérez is contracted to remain at Cadillac until at least the end of the 2029 season.
Sergio Michel Pérez Mendoza was born on 26 January 1990 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Pérez is the youngest child of Antonio Pérez Garibay and Marilú Mendoza de Pérez; he also has an older sister Paola and an older brother Antonio, a retired stock car racing driver who competed in the NASCAR Mexico Series. Pérez is married to Carola Martínez Galindo, and they have four children: two sons and two daughters. Pérez is Catholic. Both Pérez brothers are association football fans, stating that they thought about leaving car racing to play professionally. The brothers are friends of Mexican footballer Javier Hernández. In an interview in 2012 for the official Formula One website, Pérez revealed that if he had not been a driver he would have liked to have been a lawyer.
Pérez began his career in karting at the age of six in 1996. In his first year of competition he achieved four victories in the junior category and claimed the runner-up spot in the category. 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. The following year, Pérez returned to compete in the junior category; he achieved eight wins and became the youngest driver to become champion of the category. He also participated in several races in Shifter 125cc and competed in Master Kadets, where he finished on the podium. In 1999, Pérez raced in the 80cc Shifter category, taking three wins and finishing third in the championship. He also became the youngest driver to win a competition in the category, after obtaining special permission from the Federation to participate in the 80cc Shifter. In 2000, Pérez 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 following year saw him become the youngest driver to compete in the 125cc Shifter Regional category. By now, his achievements were bringing him to the attention of scouts for Escuderia Telmex. With six wins in 2002, Pérez finished as the national runner-up in the Shifter 125cc category, and participated in the global race Shifter 80cc, in Las Vegas, where he qualified fifth and finished in 11th place. In 2003, Pérez was leading both championships in the 125cc category but withdrew from the last seven races, which proved to be a disappointment in his title aspirations. However, he finished in third place in Telmex Challenge, in addition to being Cup runner-up in Mexico. In the same year, he was also invited to attend the Easy Kart 125 Shootout, where he competed against drivers from around the world and won the race, again as the youngest driver.
Pérez competed in the US-based Skip Barber National Championship in 2004. Driving for a team sponsored by Mexican telecommunications company Telmex, he finished eleventh in the championship.
Pérez moved to Europe in 2005 to compete in the German Formula BMW ADAC series. He was allowed to live in a restaurant owned by his team manager for four months. He finished fourteenth in the championship, driving for 4speed Media, and improved to sixth position the following year.
In the 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix season, Pérez took part in a single round of the championship for A1 Team Mexico. He was the third-youngest driver to take part in the series.
