Sergio “Checo” Pérez may become the next great Latin American Formula 1 champion 

At present, Latin America has an illusion of seeing again a world champion. Coming from Guadalajara, Mexico, Sergio “Checo” Pérez has demonstrated through his talent that he has all the capacities to have the maximum award of formula 1. His entry to the big tent of the world motoring took place in 2011 with the Swiss team of Sauber, in which finished the season in the position 16. He ran one more year with Sauber and in 2013, thanks to his good conditions as a pilot, he was signed by the historic team of McLaren. “Checo” would take the place of the British Lewis Hamilton, who would race for the Mercedes-Benz team that year. Pérez did not have a good season with the team of silver arrows. However, in 2014 he  would begin a new stage with Force India, where he is still running today.

In the Indian team “Checo” has achieved his best professional performance until 2016, finishing in the seventh position with 101 points, only surpassed by the riders of the big and powerful teams of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes Benz.

With the talent and maturity of the Mexican, all he needs is to be sitting in one of the chairs of the Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz or Red Bull cars, and this way Latin America will once again dominate formula 1.

Having a Latin American driver dominate in the big car of motoring would not be new because throughout history runners from Argentina and Brazil have had an important presence. For instance, in the decade of the 50’s the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio was consecutively champion from 1954 to 1957 with the teams Alfieri Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari.

However, Brazil is the Latin American country that has given the greatest number of formula 1 champions from the region. In 1972 and 1974, Emerson Fittipaldi with the teams John Player Team Lotus and Marlboro Team Texaco McLaren. Later in the 1980s, there was the triple champion Nelson Piquet, with the teams Parmalat Racing Team Brabham, Fila Sport Brabham, and Canon Williams Team.

In 1988, 1990 and 1991 it was the last time that Latin America dominated formula 1. The winner of the tournament in these years with the Honda Marlboro McLaren team was ranked as one of the best riders in the history of the highest category of motoring. He was a pilot who is reference for the present participants of the formula 1 and whose name has a great memory in the fans of the speed. The legend of those titles was the great Ayrton Senna.

With this last triple world champion finished the dominion of Latin America as a main cradle of riders who contributed champions for Formula 1. It is important to note that in recent years the Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa were runner-ups with the Ferrari team in the seasons 2002, 2004 and 2008 respectively.

However, “Checho” Pérez’s performance gives us motive to believe that we may be looking at the next great Latin F1 champion.

Latin American Post | Jaime Andrés Pinzón Fajardo

Copy edited by Laura Rocha Rueda