Sergio Michel “Checo” Pérez Mendoza (born January 26, 1990) is a Mexican racing driver who competed in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2024, and is currently racing for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. Pérez so far has a total of six Grand Prix wins, and has stood on the podium a total of 39 times.
Sauber
Pérez made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber in 2011, scoring points on four occasions to finish his rookie season 16th overall. The Mexican driver scored his first Formula 1 podiums in his second season.
McLaren
McLaren signed Pérez for 2013 to replace the Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton. Neither Checo nor teammate Jenson Button were able to put the McLaren MP4-28 on the podium.
Force India/Racing Point
After his disappointing year with McLaren, Pérez was signed by Force India for the 2014 season. He scored five podiums between then and 2018, never finishing outside the top ten overall in the drivers’ standings.
Pérez remained with the team after it was rebranded as Racing Point in 2019. Around halfway through the 2020 season, the team announced that Pérez would be replaced by Sebastian Vettel in the following season after another rebranding as Aston Martin. Checo responded with a second place finish at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, and scored a first career F1 win at the Sakhir Grand Prix two rounds later. In doing so, Pérez became the first Mexican driver to win a Grand Prix since Pedro Rodríguez.
Red Bull Racing
After the end of the 2020 season, Pérez was announced as a 2021 Red Bull Racing driver. He took five additional wins between then and 2023, in which he finished the season runner up to teammate Max Verstappen.
Checo also had a strong start to 2024, with four podiums in the first five rounds. However, he was unable to sustain his form due to the RB20’s drop in performance. Despite a contract renewal, Pérez and Red Bull Racing ultimately parted ways after the end of the season.
Cadillac Formula 1 Team
After being left without a Formula 1 seat for 2025, Pérez was announced as a 2026 driver for Cadillac alongside fellow sidelined veteran Valtteri Bottas. They will be joined by test driver Colton Herta, an IndyCar race winner.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer was a team sponsor during Checo’s tenure at Red Bull Racing, and announced the Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon Sergio Pérez Edition (ref. CAR5A55) to mark the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix. Only two were produced: one as a personal piece for Pérez, and the second to raise funds for the Checo Pérez Foundation. The exclusive tourbillon chronograph features a DLC coated titanium case, Checo’s “SP” logo on the dial, “Mexico” on the tachymeter bezel, and his motto “Never Give Up” on the case back along with the date of the race.
Pérez was also gifted a custom TAG Heuer Monaco after winning the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix. His initials were engraved on the case back, along with the Monaco racetrack layout and the date “29.05.22”.
Related Pages
References
https://magazine.tagheuer.com/en/2022/06/02/custom-timepieces-red-bull-racing-max-verstappen-sergio-perez/
https://masterhorologer.com/2022/06/05/tag-heuer-carrera-tourbillon-sergio-perez-edition/