For Red Bull F1’s Sergio Perez, the 2022 season will be a career-best in his 12th year in F1.
In the 2020 F1 Sakir GP, Sergio Perez, who was thought to be two races left until the end of his F1 active career, went off the track on the first lap and dropped to the end of the line, facing a difficult race. Realizing that he had nothing to lose, Perez decided to continue the race and see what happened to him as best he could.
In the end, Sergio Perez caught up from the back of the chaotic Sakir GP and won. It was his first F1 win in his 190th race and the first win for a Mexican driver in 50 years.
Twelve days later, it was announced that Perez, nicknamed ‘Czech’, would join Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing for the 2021 season. And two years after a 2020 season that seemed doomed for his career, Perez is in the best shape of his life.
Sergio Pérez ended the 2022 season with a career-best record of 305 points, including two wins, one pole position and three fastest laps. In the Drivers’ Championship, he finished 3rd in the final round of the Abu Dhabi GP, and although he missed 2nd place in the championship, he recorded a career-best 3rd place.
It is rare for a 32-year-old driver to achieve a career-best result in his 12th season. However, the 2022 season is a natural evolution of Sergio Perez’s highly unique career.
Last season’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix wins, before winning in Monaco and Singapore in 2022, ensured his reputation as the strongest street circuit driver and a ‘next season seat’ that he could not have imagined not so long ago. made it
When asked why he’s been able to keep getting best results at an age when so many drivers are losing speed, Sergio Perez said his performance wasn’t the result of one factor.
“Overall, 2022 has been a good season,” Perez said, adding that his confidence and motivation increased and he enjoyed his job more than ever before, which contributed to his best performance of his career. talk.
“I wish I could have been involved in the title fight, but I was a little bit inconsistent, but overall it’s been a strong season for the team.”
Sergio Perez has admitted that the experience of being on the brink of losing his F1 seat changed his perspective on the bigger picture, saying it made him appreciate the small victories that lead to big results.
“Once you’ve been pushed to the point of losing your seat, you realize how hard it is to get a chance and at the same time you realize that your career always ends,” said Perez.
“Maybe I’ve come to realize this fact even more than before. If the tough experiences of the past have taken hold of me, I’ll be able to enjoy the present more. I’m really enjoying my work now.”
In the 2022 season, the driver combination of Sergio Perez and Verstappen was the driving force behind Red Bull Racing’s first Constructors’ title since the 2013 season. The line-up has been so strong that the Czech’s extension to the end of the 2024 season announced in July was a really easy decision for both the team and the drivers.
Sergio Perez, who made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber at the opening round of the 2011 season at the Australian Grand Prix, has since worked for McLaren and Force India/Racing Point, and is currently at Red Bull Racing, has accumulated a wealth of experience. In F1’s 73-year history, only 11 drivers have started more times than Perez.
So Sergio Perez is in a position to comment on the differences between his former team and Red Bull Racing.
“Red Bull Racing is a very strong and very well put together team,” said Perez.
“It’s a great group of people, all working towards the same goal. They have a mentality that only wants to win, and they’re always striving for the next task or goal. It’s a big influence. I’m here.”
One of the changes that has happened to Sergio Pérez in recent years has been a surge in popularity. The Mexican Grand Prix in October featured a Czech face on all billboards and TV ads. It’s easy to see why more than 395,000 fans turned the Mexican Grand Prix into a three-day celebration.
Another change that has happened to Sergio Perez is the various nicknames he acquired after joining Red Bull Racing.
Of particular note is the “defence” he gained from the 2021 season title-deciding Abu Dhabi GP, where he fought against Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes to ensure Verstappen’s title win. Minister of Defense.”
“I prefer ‘attack minister’,” Sergio Pérez says with a laugh.
“I think I’m a fair driver. I’m very aggressive, but I always leave the right amount of space. I think he’s a very comfortable opponent to race against and a lot of fun to fight with. A driver who can get close wheel-to-wheel. there are never many
Asked about the support from his native Mexico, which has grown as his results have improved, Sergio Perez says the significance of that is beyond words.
“The support from Mexico is unreal.”
“My home country Mexico is phenomenal. Thanks to the wonderful support, it makes me really happy.”
Category: F1 / Sergio Perez / red bull