32 years of age, he is in the senior years of his career. Oh, Ill pay a lot of beers. A penalty for Maldonado subsequently promoted Prez to a career-best fourth on the grid. Sergio Perez Mendoza, also known as Checo Perez, has been a firm fixture on the Formula 1 grid since 2011. Sorry, theres no story behind it!. He ruined [Lewis] Hamilton's race (in Valencia), he ruined my race in Monaco by doing stupid things. 3. On 12 December 2013, Prez had his drive for Force India in 2014 confirmed.[10]. It was the first time in his career that he scored podiums on consecutive weekends.[104]. -Lewis Hamilton. Unable to pass the Mercedes, Prez then switched strategies and pitted for fresh tyres and chased down Bottas in the final stages. 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 the race, Carlos Sainz Jr. retired after a crash, meaning Prez ran third for most of the race. The Formula 1 World Championship It is the main international motorsport competition, the most popular and also the most prestigious. Its going to be good, Max said in this thanks to Checo. [10] He remained with Force India when the team went into administration in 2018 and reformed as the Racing Point team for 2019. Someone who is called Sergio in Mexico its like for Jose is PePe or Jesus = Chuy, Alejandro= Alex. He let teammate Verstappen past with the understanding that Verstappen would let Prez back past if he couldn't gain any positions, due to Prez' fight with Leclerc for second place in the drivers championship. Why is Sergio Perez called Checo? In the process, he won two-thirds of the races and a similar proportion of pole positions, and finished all but two races on the podium. He also became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy scheme in October 2010.[26]. Alas, this confusion was cleared up by Sergio Perez himself in an interview back in 2013, asking the Mexican driver about his unusual nickname. Turns out, the story around it is a bit underwhelming: When he started driving, Sergio always entered races as Chico! [48] At the Belgian Grand Prix, he made it into Q3 and qualified fifth fastest. Its not really that complicated or interesting. The origins of the nickname Checo Sergio Perez In an interview in 2013, Perez was asked how he got his nickname. [24], On 4 October 2010, Sauber announced that Prez would join the team in 2011, replacing Nick Heidfeld. Checo is the nickname given to all people called Sergio in Mexico, according to the man himself. Flag. Due to his young age and performance, he was referred to as "The Mexican Wunderkind". being short for Joseph. Prez's car was fixed in time for the start of the race, although he was required to start from the back. On lap 64 he took the lead and won the race ahead of Esteban Ocon and teammate Stroll. In the race he managed to run third for most of the time, but was caught out by a Safety Car with himself on Medium tyres compared to everyone else's Soft tyres. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. In the finale at Abu Dhabi, when Max Verstappen was trailing over 8 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton in a do-or-die race for the championship, it was Sergio Perez who defended against all odds, bringing the gap down to almost a second, which later helped Max clinch the drivers championship. Prez inherited the lead after Stroll made a pitstop, and on lap 37 he got overtaken by Lewis Hamilton for the lead. Racing Point saw 2019 as a transitional season, with much of the work on that year's car being disrupted by the administration events of the previous year. Eventually Prez finished 1.4 seconds behind Leclerc in third place which meant he ended up third in the 2022 Drivers Standings.[130]. Sorry, theres no story behind it! he concluded. He passed then-championship leader Sebastian Vettel for 3rd place with a few laps to go, making him the first driver to finish on the podium twice at the Baku City Circuit (in 2016 and 2018). Checo Checks The Stock Market. After Leclerc spun, Prez subsequently coasted to 2nd, behind teammate Max Verstappen. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname 'Checo'. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. said Perez. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Prez is the youngest child of Antonio Prez Garibay and Maril Mendoza de Prez; he also has an older sister Paola and an older brother Antonio,[13] a retired stock car racing driver who competed in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In the 200607 A1 Grand Prix season, Prez took part in a single round of the championship for A1 Team Mexico. In the next round, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Prez qualified 7th as he was unable set a representative time in Q3 due to red flags. Discover more news. Why is Sergio Perez nicknamed Checo? Interestingly, the name Pepe is also given to Mexican people called Jose Luis, with Jose, in some cases. Sergio Perez, otherwise known as Checo, is a Formula One driver from Mexico. Discover more news. [22] He finished fourteenth in the championship, driving for 4speed Media, and improved to sixth position the following year. Its not really that complicated or interesting. (Checo Perez)'s got so much rear! Prez finished in second place, behind Verstappen, giving Red Bull another 1-2 result. This included the rain-affected German Grand Prix, where he crashed out early in the race whilst teammate Stroll briefly led the race and eventually finished 4th. [79], In a similar manner to 2018, Prez fared far better during the second half of the season. (Checo Perez)'s got so much rear! Sergio Prez a great admirer of Club Amrica. Bad as in awesome. A Sauber team spokesman said that he was conscious and able to talk after the accident, and had been taken to the circuit's medical centre. The reasoning behind Perezs nickname is, in fact, a simple one. Of course, Im aggressive in the race, but I never just throw the door without pardon.. Sergio Michel Checo Prez Mendoza (Spanish born 26 January 1990), is a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, previously known as Sauber, McLaren, Force India. By now, his achievements were bringing hm to the attention of scouts for Escuderia Telmex. Also involved in the accident were, the championship leader Fernando Alonso and Prez's teammate Kamui Kobayashi. Sergio Perez reveals why he is named Checo The Mexican race driver back in 2013 explained why his famous name called him. Sergio Prez a great admirer of Club Amrica. Checo is the nickname given to all people called Sergio in Mexico, according to the man himself. In his home race in Mexico, Prez took his third consecutive podium, for the first time in his career. [22] He competed in the National Class for older chassis with the T-Sport team, winning the championship by a comfortable margin. 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. He had a moment with his teammate in Canada when he would not allow his teammate through, who thought he could challenge Daniel Ricciardo for 3rd. Unlike most of the drivers in the field, Prez started the race on hard tyres and changed to the medium tyres on lap 29,[51] allowing him to lead the Grand Prix for five laps. Nevertheless, Perez is among the most adored drivers on the grid. And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. [86][87] In September 2020, Prez announced that he would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the 2020 season. He Doesnt Give a F***: Despite Recent Max Verstappen Team Order Furore, Sorry, there's no story behind it! said Perez, according to the Sun. [54] This also ended Prez' association with Ferrari, as he was released from its driver academy. On Saturday, he failed to qualify for Q3 and was twelfth on the grid. [50], Prez took his third podium at the Italian Grand Prix. Ultimately, he finished the season in tenth place in the Drivers' Championship with 66 points, 6 more than teammate Kobayashi.[52]. Sergio Perez playing F1 on his home gaming setup Prez finished seventh in his first race, the Australian Grand Prix, impressing observers by stopping to change tyres only once, becoming the only driver in the field to make fewer than two stops. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Prez qualified 5th, citing not driving the car in FP1, where he was replaced by Jri Vips. I really think I drive fairly. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. [19], In November 2012, Prez unveiled the Checo Prez Foundation to support orphans and children with cancer. Prez took seven points finishes from nine races in the second half of the season. 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. Prez scored his fourth win at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix. Alas, this confusion was cleared up by Sergio Perez himself in an interview back in 2013, asking the Mexican driver about his unusual nickname. Turns out, the story around it is a bit underwhelming: Its the Mexican Minister of defense, given to him by none other than Verstappen himself. Whats the name were talking about? WebSergio Michel "Checo" Prez Mendoza (Spanish: [sexjo pees] (); born 26 January 1990), is a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Racing Point.He won his first Formula One Grand Prix at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, breaking the record for the number of starts before a race win at 190. He was joined at the team by former Williams driver Lance Stroll. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. 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. Why is Sergio Perez called Checo? After qualifying third in the rain, Prez passed Max Verstappen and went from third to second, only behind his teammate Lance Stroll, starting with full wet rain tyres and changing for intermediate tyres on lap 10 of 58. Discover more news. Horner said, Hiring Checo is a bit of a risk. Sorry, there's no story behind it! said Perez, according to the Sun. At the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix, Prez qualified in 5th place, starting in 4th behind McLaren's Lando Norris after a penalty for Valtteri Bottas. The reason is pretty straightforward in Mexico, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. Conclusion Perez has built a reputation in F1 as a combat driver who loves to fight his way through the pack. [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. "[47], For the German Grand Prix, Prez started in 17th position but was able to make his way through the field, and ultimately finished the race in 6th place. He made his Formula One debut driving for Sauber during the 2011 season. He collided with his teammate Ocon on the opening lap, causing Ocon to crash into a wall and retire from the race. He then achieved his eighth career podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing 3rd after an incident-strewn race. Sorry, theres no story behind it!" Sergio Perez playing F1 on his home gaming setup Post race Prez said the matter was "discussed internally" and they are going to put it "behind" themselves. [25] He became the fifth Mexican to compete in Formula One, and the first since Hctor Rebaque competed between 1977 and 1981. He won his first Formula One Grand Prix at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, breaking the record for the number of starts before a race win at 190. [115] Prez was initially unsatisfied with the team orders despite being satisfied with the result, saying "Im definitely here to win and I think if I was on the three-stop, I should have won the race. Sergio Perez revealed in 2013 the reason behind his nickname. Not bad as in terrible. And all of that revived his nickname, making him popular amongst Red Bull and Max Verstappens fans as Checo.. Due to this, he was unable to participate in the British Grand Prix. [27] However, both Sauber cars were subsequently disqualified for infringing technical regulations. 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. Responding to the question, Perez said, "In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname 'Checo'.