© Getty Images

Checo’s Top Five Career MomentsSergio chooses his five standout career memories from a long list of achievements so far.

hashadalonganddistinguishedcareerinmotorsport.Thisishis11thseasoninFormulaOneandhe’sdoneaofalotofracingbeforeventuringintothehighestclassofinternationalsingle-seaters.

So, after his highlight of winning in Baku, we sat down with Checo to see where that moment ranked and what his top five highlights are overall…

Final Checks For Checo© Vladimir Rys

1.JettingOffToGermany

Checo’s goal from when he started karting at just six-years-old was to become a Formula One driver. And he knew if he wanted to do that, he had to get a seat in a European-based championship. So, at the age of just 15, speaking no other language than Spanish, he moved to Germany to race for Team Rosberg in the Formula BMW ADAC series.

“Taking that step was crucial,” said Checo. “And getting that opportunity to move to Europe, it was very important for me to be able to eventually move into Formula One.”

Checo On The Podium In Formula BMW ADAC© ADAC Formula BMW

2.GettingAFormulaOneDrive

When your life’s goal has been achieved, it’s obviously going to be in your top five career moments.

So, when Checo took a call from Sauber in 2010 saying he’s in the cockpit for the following year’s Formula One Championship, it meant everything. “It was pretty special,” he said. “I had worked my whole life to get there and when you make it you really appreciate it. It’s a massive task.”

Sauber driver Sergio Perez© Courtesy of Sauber

Mexicans worship their sports stars, so after Checo had told his family he was going to have a press conference in his homeland, it meant so much to his family, that hey had to be there.

“It was a big deal at home. The conference was in Mexico City, which is a long way from my home town of Guadalajara, and my entire family drove over night to be able to come and see the press conference,” Checo explained.

3.FirstWinWithRedBullRacingHonda

The most recent highlight on Checo’s list is still very fresh in the memory. When he joined Red Bull Racing Honda, it was a new car, a new team and a new mindset. At the start of the season Checo said it would take him five races to learn the car. True to his word, he won his sixth race, making it very special.

“We’re just starting our journey together so to get my first win with the Team was great,” said Checo. And it wasn’t just the fact he won that was special, it’s that he had to battle for the entire 51 laps. “I was holding Lewis Hamilton back for the entire race and holding him back is different to trying to hold back any other driver. In that regard, it makes it special, we were pushing each other. Being able to win the race and seeing my boys very happy was amazing.”

Sergio Wins On The Streets© Getty Images

4.TakingOnTheBigBoys

Checo was fast-tracked through the karting ranks and often had to get permission from the federation in charge to see if he was allowed to compete at a higher level.

One of his proudest moments came when he was just 12 years-old. “I remember a race in Chiluca, with my dad, my brother and mechanic. It was one of my first races where I was competing against guys who were 20-25 years older than me, and I beat them. It was a great feeling.”

5.MakingMagicInMonaco

Monaco is special, even those who don’t like Formula One know about the Monaco Grand Prix, so it’s every drivers dream to stand on the podium. Checo achieved this in 2016.

Checo On The Monaco Podium© Getty Images

In qualifying he put his Force India in P8 and looking ahead to race day he knew it wouldn’t be easy to move up five places on the notoriously tight street circuit and finish on the podium. However, Checo was able to do just this and it’s down to his observation skills.

“I remember the race so well. It was a great race in difficult conditions. It was all about making the right decisions. I was called into the pits and then very late my engineer said: ‘It’s your choice.’ I saw on the big screen that the other drivers who had pitted the lap previously were stuck in traffic behind a Williams, so I stayed out and it worked, I was able to overcut them. I made that choice by looking at the TV, it was special,” Concluded Checo.