We take a look back at a time when Sergio Perez once pulled off a prank on his team engineer only to get it back from him
Sergio Perez is one of the most fun-loving drivers in the current Formula One grid. Perez has grown in stature over the years as a driver and is equally loved by the fans and his team members for his jolly and humorous nature. An old video from the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix has re-surfaced on the Internet where Perez can be seen pulling off a prank on his team Engineer, while he was driving for the Sauber F1 team.
In the 2011 Japanese GP, Checo brought himself to a significant point position by the final lap after starting the race in 17th position. At that point, Perez decided to joke with his team and said on the radio: “I lost power. I lost power. No power. No power. No power.” His engineer responded: “Go to the finish line, keep pushing. Go to the line, Keep pushing. Go to the line.”
Perez then replied: “Haha, I was joking,” as he secured a P8 finish. The Sauber engineer got back at him though and said in a serious tone: “Actually, I made a mistake, Kamui is fourth. Kamui is P4.” In reality, Kamui Kobayashi, Checo’s teammate, finished P13. Perez got tensed and enquired: “Fourth? Position Four? Why?”The Engineer then cheekily revealed: “So, I got you as well, Checo, okay? You got it back, now.”
Sergio Perez has emerged as one of the top F1 stars of the modern era and single-handedly put Mexico on the map of motorsport. Perez started his Formula One career with the Sauber F1 team in 2011 at an estimated salary of less than US $1 million and ten years on, he is now one of the highest-paid racers in the sport. Perez’s current estimated annual salary is US $10 million, making him the fourth-highest-paid F1 racer.
In his F1 career to date, spanning over a decade, Perez has registered four race wins to go with 26 podium finishes. The Mexican finished third this season in the drivers’ championship after some commendable performance and in time, he was in contention for the championship title. Thanks to his consistent performances, Perez’s net worth is expected to rise higher ahead of the new season.
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