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Sergio Pérez signs on for 2 more years of good times
Fresh from taking the chequered flag at Monaco, Oracle Red Bull Racing's popular Mexican driver has revealed he'll be with the team until 2024 at least.
It’s official! Sergio Pérez will be an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver for another two years! Following a superb drive to win the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix – Pérez’s first victory in the principality – the confirmation that the man known more commonly as ‘Checo’ will continue in 2023 and 2024 is music to our ears.
On track, Checo’s exploits include winning races (Monaco 2022 and Azerbaijan 2021), almost as many podiums in 18 months with Oracle Red Bull Racing than the previous 10 years of his career, and becoming the official ‘minister of defence’ with his amazing talent for defending his position on track. Word is that Max Verstappen still owes Checo a few cans of Red Bull for his support at the 2021 finale to defend against a fast-charging Lewis Hamilton.
But it isn’t just the on-track highlights that make the next two-years tantalising. It’s his life-loving attitude off it – think wild celebration scenes at the Mexican Grand Prix, road trips, show runs and more! Here are three of our favourite off-track moments:
01
Race to Miami: Sergio’s first cross-country affair
It’s safe to say that Checo is happy that Christian Horner isn’t the man on the radio in a race. In the lead up to the inaugural Miami Grand Prix a miscommunication on a phone call sent Pérez racing from New York to Miami in a championship-winning RB7 car.
From New York streets, encounters with alligators, barefoot water skiing and the first laps of Miami, check it out below.
02
Mexico City show run
Not many drivers build the hype for their home grand prix like Pérez does. In 2021 he took to the streets of Paseo de la Reforma, lighting up the crowd's enthusiasm with a high-octane curtain-raiser to the main event.
Checo ended the race a few days later in third place – making it a double podium for the team, with Max winning the event, and just like the city show run, the race celebration was a party atmosphere like no other.
03
Formula Schnitzeljagd: an Austrian initiation
When competing at your team’s home grand prix, it’s a different kettle of fish. Formula Schnitzeljagd was an Austrian adventure like no other. It saw Checo team up in the same car with Max – a classic Pinzgauer truck – against Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.
Originally manufactured in nearby Graz, Pinzgauers are high-mobility, all-terrain vehicles capable of taking on daunting landscapes, and the most treacherous of inclines and declines. Add an inter-team battle into the mix, and it was an adventure like no other!
15 min
Formula Schnitzeljagd – warming up in Austria
F1 drivers travel over land, water and air, doing challenges along the way, as a warm-up for the Austrian GP.
Another two-years of on-track and off-track highlights? We’ll take that. Vamos Checo!
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