And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. But the thing that happened most notably at Red Bull was the recognition of his talents and skills, which came into the spotlight. The origins of the nickname Checo Sergio Perez In an interview in 2013, Perez was asked how he got his nickname. All rights reserved. Sergio Perez playing F1 on his home gaming setup A penalty for Maldonado subsequently promoted Prez to a career-best fourth on the grid. [29] He was seen holding his hands around his head in an attempt to protect it just before the final impact. "[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. Verstappen didn't let Prez back past, which left Prez disappointed. In 2019, Racing Point signed a three-year extension with Prez. Its the Mexican Minister of defense, given to him by none other than Verstappen himself. Sergio Prez a great admirer of Club Amrica. The first one is when, in 2013, Perez himself shed light on why he is called Checo. As quoted by the Planet F1, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said, Hes been a great team-mate this year, I think. 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. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Force India was put into administration. Why is Sergio Perez nicknamed Checo? And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. Sergio Perez responded to the topic of why he is known as Checo in 2013. Someone who is called Sergio in Mexico its like for Jose is PePe or Jesus = Chuy, Alejandro= Alex. Its not really that complicated or interesting. 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. -Lewis Hamilton. Prez's car was fixed in time for the start of the race, although he was required to start from the back. [73][74] He was very consistent with his highest finish in 2017 a fourth place in Spain after two rivals collided at the start, and a third retired mid-race with a power unit failure. Prez finished the first three races of the season outside the points. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. Prez was subsequently given a five-place grid penalty for the next race, as the stewards decided he changed his racing line, causing Massa to crash into him. Of course, Im aggressive in the race, but I never just throw the door without pardon. His three wins and 13 podiums in the last two years only tell a little story about the aggression that he has carried into the 2020 season. Why is Sergio Perez called Checo? The session was suspended, and marshals and medical personnel extricated Prez from his car. He himself believes that he deserves more credit for his attack, as he said in an interview quoted by the Sports Rush, , I prefer to be the minister of attack. referencing the incident above. Prez relocated his residence to Oxford. Jon Wilde 09 Nov 2021 11:20 PM. 3. [79], In a similar manner to 2018, Prez fared far better during the second half of the season. In the closing stages of the race, he was able to pressure Lewis Hamilton for 2nd place, but he was unable to pass Hamilton before the chequered flag. Another points finish came with 9th place in Spain. Max Verstappen is calling his Red Bull Racing teammate a bad name. WebSergio Perez with his pet dogs Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Checo Perez ordered a gaming setup for his home to replicate the feel of being in a formula 1 racing car. I've had some tough fights in F1 but not quite as dirty as that. Sorry, theres no story behind it! The penalty also meant his teammate Max Verstappen won the championship. [54] This also ended Prez' association with Ferrari, as he was released from its driver academy. With an already slow car, Prez dropped back to sixth place. Sorry, theres no story behind it!" 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. Prez later added: "Just look at the last races. The best drivers in the Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in 1990, Sergio Prez was interested in motor racing from an early age. He overtook Leclerc at the start and led every lap. After a fifteenth place in Hungary, he retired in Belgium with suspension failure. [14][15] Prez is a Catholic. [44] He improved to ninth place in the race, but raised poor qualifying form as an issue for the team. And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected. Prez finished the season with 125 points, scoring one win and one podium. He said: "Its not really that complicated or interesting. Sergio Perez, otherwise known as Checo, is a Formula One driver from Mexico. 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. By now, his achievements were bringing hm to the attention of scouts for Escuderia Telmex. Prez achieved his ninth F1 podium at the Turkish Grand Prix. According to him, as quoted by the Sun, Its not really that complicated or interesting. [123] Prez had a bad start and was attacked by the two Mercedes cars, but eventually moved back into second. Interestingly, the name Pepe is also given to Mexican people called Jose Luis, with Jose, in some cases. [103], At the 2021 French Grand Prix, Prez qualified in 4th place, starting behind Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. [75] He ended his streak of 17 points finishes as he ended up colliding with Daniil Kvyat in Monaco. -Lewis Hamilton. [121][122], At the Belgian Grand Prix, Prez qualified third but was promoted to second due to his teammate's grid penalties. 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. In the race he jumped Leclerc on the start and built a 2.5 second gap, which he maintained until his teammate Max Verstappen overtook him on Lap 14 after the order no fighting was issued to Prez if Verstappen were to try to overtake him. 1; 2; Force India signed Prez for the 2014 season with a 15million contract. Whats the name were talking about? Why Sergio Perez is called Checo? He also achieved the fastest lap of the race, having pitted for fresh tyres. and Racing Point. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. [39] However, Prez later told reporters that he expected to stay with Sauber until at least the end of the 2012 season. Sergio Prez a great admirer of Club Amrica. Prez inherited the lead after Stroll made a pitstop, and on lap 37 he got overtaken by Lewis Hamilton for the lead. The 2015 season started with a 10th place for Prez in Australia, followed by a 13th in Malaysia, an 11th in China and an eighth in Bahrain. Its going to be good,, However, this iconic defense by Checo cant take credit away from his attacking skills! Leclerc cut across the Casio Triangle, and blocked Prez from making an overtake. He's extremely quick and he did a great job today but some of it is unnecessary and an issue when you are doing those speeds. The Formula 1 World Championship It is the main international motorsport competition, the most popular and also the most prestigious. He himself believes that he deserves more credit for his attack, as he said in an interview quoted by the Sports Rush, I prefer to be the minister of attack. . Interestingly, the name Pepe is also given to Mexican people called Jose Luis, with Jose, in some cases. And all of that revived his nickname, making him popular amongst Red Bull and Max Verstappens fans as Checo.. In a post-season video, it was Max who quipped about Checo, Hes the minister of defense now, referencing the incident above. 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. In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname Checo. In December, Prez signed with Red Bull Racing for the 2021 season. [10] He remained with Force India when the team went into administration in 2018 and reformed as the Racing Point team for 2019. On the way to the grid at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, Prez crashed, having skidded into the barriers at Les Combes. Sorry, theres no story behind it!" The first one is when, in 2013, Perez himself shed light on why he is called Checo. Includes points scored by other drivers. And all of that revived his nickname, making him popular amongst, However, despite the admiration from fans, many are unaware of the origin of this nickname. Horner has already stated that now Red Bull will focus on getting Perez the runner-up spot in the standings while clinching the constructors title win. In Monaco, Prez scored his sixth (and Force India's fourth) podium finish in wet and changing conditions and moved to ninth in the Drivers' Championship standings. For 2008, he and T-Sport graduated to the premier International Class of the championship, where he was one of the few drivers to be equipped with a Mugen Honda engine. WebSergio Perez with his pet dogs Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Checo Perez ordered a gaming setup for his home to replicate the feel of being in a formula 1 racing car. Sergio Perez has long been called Checo on the paddock, but still, many fans dont know why he is nicknamed that; The Mexican answers. Sorry, theres no story behind it! [17] The brothers are friends of Mexican footballer Javier Hernndez. -Lewis Hamilton. 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]. [105] Ultimately, however, the race was red-flagged after just two laps under the safety car, resulting in a result of 20th place, although he was later promoted to 19th due to a penalty given to Lance Stroll. He said: "Its not really that complicated or interesting. Bad as in awesome. On 12 December 2013, Prez had his drive for Force India in 2014 confirmed.[10]. He was born as the youngest child of Antonio Prez Garibay and Maril Mendoza de Prez in Guadalajara, Jalisco. [22] He competed in the National Class for older chassis with the T-Sport team, winning the championship by a comfortable margin. [22] He finished fourteenth in the championship, driving for 4speed Media, and improved to sixth position the following year. Discover more news. Why Is Sergio Perez Called Checo? Interestingly, the name Pepe is also given to Mexican people called Jose Luis, with Jose, in some cases. He then returned to the sport with Force India, where he had some impressive seasons, including a podium finish in 2016. "[116], At the Monaco Grand Prix, Prez qualified third, crashing at the Portier corner on his final attempt. Responding to the question, Perez said, "In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname 'Checo'. Over the last two seasons, Perez has dropped massive drives and moments after receiving the car that complemented his ability. In France, he retired from the race with an engine failure. Team principal Christian Horner said it was tactical to not start on the pole due to the slipstream effect, which could help a driver take the lead going into the Les Combes corner. Checo is the nickname given to all people called Sergio in Mexico, according to the man himself. 1; 2; Prez confirmed on 13 November 2013 that he would be leaving McLaren at the end of the season to be replaced by Kevin Magnussen. 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. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports. As a literature student With the race boiling down to a final lap title shootout, Red Bull did not want to risk Perez stopping out on track. [11] In September 2020, Racing Point announced that Prez would be leaving the team at the end of the season as Sebastian Vettel, a four-time F1 world champion, had been signed to replace him. The race hit the three-hour limit, and Prez held on to win the third race of his Formula One career, from Sainz and his teammate Verstappen. 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. But the thing that happened most notably at Red Bull was the recognition of his talents and skills, which came into the spotlight. [86][87] In September 2020, Prez announced that he would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the 2020 season. During the third part of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, Prez lost control of his car upon exiting the circuit's tunnel section, swung to the right and crashed into the barrier, before sliding across the chicane and hitting the TecPro barrier with a heavy side impact. He had a breakthrough season in 2012 when he achieved two podium finishes, which was followed by another podium finish in 2013. Ultimately, he finished the season in tenth place in the Drivers' Championship with 66 points, 6 more than teammate Kobayashi.[52]. Since Prez announced his departure from Racing Point there was support from the media for him, with The Race saying it will be a "huge injustice were Perez not to be on the 2021 grid.". Sergio Perez was given his nickname by his fans in Mexico.