That earned Checo the call to F1 and he made F1 debut in 2011 with Sauber. He soon forged a reputation as a serial podium finisher and the undisputed master of Pirelli tyres and he scored three top-three finishes in 2012.
His performances earned him a move to McLaren for 2013 but in a troubled year for the team, his stay was short and at the end of the season he switched to Force India where he would spend the next five years, taking five podiums before the team was sold and rebranded as Racing Point.
It was with Racing Point that Checo scored his first F1 victory. Dropped to the back of the field after a lap-one collision at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Checo staged a stunning fightback to power through the field and take a remarkable win.
The victory proved crucial for Checo in securing his F1 future. With Racing Point set to replace him for 2021, Checo was in danger of dropping off the grid. But as the season ended the seat opposite Max became available and the Team pounced, prizing the Mexican driver’s experience, race craft and pace.
Checo’s first season with the team proved to be both tricky and triumphant. Adapting to new machinery took some time but Checo made swift progress and in Baku, the Mexican took a superb first win after a dramatic restart in the closing stages of the race.
He also proved himself to be one of F1’s great team players at the final round in Abu Dhabi, where a brilliant defensive drive on aging tyres saw him fend-off repeated attacks by reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton. His resilience allowed Max Verstappen to close the gap enough to take advantage of a late race Safety Car and win the race and the 2021 Drivers’ title. His stirring refusal to buckle under pressure promptly earned Checo a new nickname as ‘the Mexican Minister of Defence’.
Checo hasn’t looked back since. In his second season at the Team, along with his unrivalled defensive and race management skills he proved himself to be one of the sport’s great street fighters with victories in Monaco and Singapore and claimed his best championship finish ever, in third, and with his largest ever points haul of 305.
Now firmly settled in the Team, our Mexican Minister of Defence is ready to level up again by going on the offensive and battling for even more podiums, wins and the fighting for the ultimate prize.
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