After hilariously dispelling retirement rumours, here Last Word On Motorsport will discuss Sergio Pérez’s best F1 races.
Rumours spread after the Singapore Grand Prix that Sergio Pérez would announce his retirement after the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. However, the Mexican driver soon shut this notion down via the social media platform X. Following the news that he will continue his Red Bull career through 2026 when his contract runs out, here are Sergio Pérez’s best F1 races ranked.
Sorry 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/rPIHpYDVGH
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) September 29, 2024
Malaysia 2012
In 2011, Pérez entered F1 by signing with Sauber and partnering with Kamui Kobayashi. Although his rookie season was underwhelming, 2o12 brought success.
In the rain-hit Malaysian Grand Prix, Perez finished on the podium after skillfully navigating the conditions, securing a surprise result for himself and his team.
He pitted early, swapped intermediate tyres for wets, and soon found himself battling Fernando Alonso at the front. With a rapid pace, he put pressure on the leader. However, an off-track excursion and a reminder from his pit wall to be cautious in the weather sealed the result. He finished P2.
Turkey 2020
Initially, Pérez was not the focus at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, but he quickly changed that.
His Racing Point teammate, Lance Stroll, secured pole position during the wet weekend in Turkey, but Stroll’s pace dropped off on a fresh set of intermediates, leading him to finish P9.
Pérez, however, stayed competitive on used tyres. He surged forward, battling Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc‘s Ferraris to secure P2 behind Lewis Hamilton.
¡Lo hicimos¡
¡Tanto se había negado en llegar este año! Carrera perfecta y sin errores. ¡Un día muy especial! #turkishgp pic.twitter.com/PSTCRW53bT— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) November 15, 2020
During a weekend where Hamilton took his seventh Drivers’ Championship title, the Mexican driver delivered a performance to remember.
Sakhir 2020
The 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix could be Pérez’s greatest race to date. After qualifying P5, he dropped down the order just a few corners into the race when Leclerc braked too late at Turn 4 and collided with him.
Pérez had to fight back to recover his race and secure points for Racing Point.
This determination likely fueled his drive to the finish. A late Virtual Safety Car, a full Safety Car, and a botched Lap 62 pit stop for George Russell on his Mercedes debut allowed Pérez to seize the lead and claim his first-ever Grand Prix victory.
“I hope I’m not dreaming, you know, because I dreamed so many years of being in this moment. Ten years it took me. Incredible,” he said.
Azerbaijan 2021
After Sebastian Vettel left Ferrari for the newly rebranded Aston Martin, which replaced Racing Point, Pérez found himself without an F1 seat.
Fortunately, Red Bull was looking for a teammate competitive enough to partner with Max Verstappen. In a first for the Austrian team, they went outside their Academy to fill the second driver spot.
With a highly competitive car that marked the beginning of their domination, Red Bull and Pérez celebrated their first victory together at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Five races into the partnership, Verstappen suffered a late tyre failure while leading, and Pérez had to step up, securing his second Grand Prix win.
Singapore 2022
Pérez gained another Grand Prix victory at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2022. Capitalising on the drama surrounding his teammate Verstappen, he swiftly passed Leclerc at the start of the race to take the lead. He soon cruised to victory.
Despite being handed a post-race time penalty for a Safety Car infringement, he maintained the win, as his dominant performance left him far enough ahead to secure the top spot regardless of the penalty.
Azerbaijan 2023
The 2023 season was a success overall for Pérez, as he secured second place in the Drivers’ Championship behind Verstappen. His strong performance in the first five rounds played a key role in this achievement.
By that point, Pérez had claimed two victories to Verstappen’s three, showcasing his speed, especially in Jeddah, where he celebrated both pole position and a win.
However, his standout moment came in Baku, where he rose from third to first, holding off pressure from his Dutch teammate as they pulled away from the field in the RB19.
It is a race many remember likely due to how the Mexican driver seemed to slow down after. What looked to be a title battle soon turned into Verstappen domination that Pérez could only watch.
More to come?
Pérez has won six races in his career, with five of those won at Red Bull, a team he joined in 2021. While the Austrian team have slowed down in 2024, he does still have a contract through 2026. Will we be able to rank more of Sergio Pérez’s Best F1 Races in the future?
