Apart from being lovingly called “Checo,” Sergio Perez has one of the most respectable nicknames in F1. That nickname, which he has earned with grit and hard work over the years, is “The Minister of Defence.” But where does it find its origins? When asked, the Mexican driver gave a hilarious reply.
Perez recently sat down for a fun interview with BBC’s Michael Timbs. The interview followed the ‘Autocomplete’ format, where the interviewee unveils the hidden portion of the question.
To begin with, Perez revealed why they call him Checo. The 2023 F1 runner-up made a cultural revelation that every person named “Sergio” in Mexico has the nickname “Checo.”
However, when it came to “Why is Sergio Perez called- Minister of Defence”, the Mexican jokingly answered, “There are plenty of stories, but I guess one of them is like, I look after my country well.” The entire room, including Perez, burst into laughter over the answer.
The real reason behind the name is his proven prowess in defending his position on the track. Surprisingly, the biggest beneficiary of this trait of his was Max Verstappen.
At the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, while leading the pack with Lewis Hamilton on his tail, Perez valiantly defended the position and kept backing the seven-time champion up until Verstappen arrived and fought his own battle. Had it not been for Perez, Verstappen may not have won his first world championship in 2021.
That art of defending, however, is missing in his driving style lately. As he struggled to get to terms with Red Bull’s attack-natured 2023 car, defense became even tougher. Resultantly, he suffered a slump in form that was hard for him to recover from.
Can Sergio Perez defend his Red Bull seat for an extension?
Despite his worsening experience behind the wheel, Red Bull decided to back Sergio Perez in 2024. They took a bold decision to honor the contract with him which runs until the end of this season.
But the question that arises is whether they will extend his stay beyond 2024. The 34-year-old is not just thankful to the team for resting their faith in him, but also keen to defend his place.
In an interview earlier this year with Formula 1’s official website, Perez claimed, “We went through very tough times, but we managed to secure the best season in the history of our team [with the constructors’ title and one-two in the drivers’ championship] and we’ve learned from those difficult moments, [so] we will come back next year stronger.”
Perez managed just two wins out of Red Bull’s 21 last year. Yet, the season was a record-breaking one for the team which was predominantly carried by three-time champion Max Verstappen.
While Perez managed to register second in the standings, he failed to secure even half of Verstappen’s points. The 2024 car, the RB20, however, looks as promising as its predecessor and presents Perez with yet another opportunity to prove himself.
