The best version of Checo Pérez, second in the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix

Checo Pérez gets out of his car, during the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. AFP7 via Europa Press (Europa Press)

Checo Pérez is the employee of the month at Red Bull.

He is the one who works more for the team than for himself.

Generous, patient and tenacious.

The Mexican driver could take the victory in the Spanish Grand Prix due to the abandonment of Charles Leclerc and the problems of Max Verstappen, but orders are orders.

Red Bull privileged the current champion and Pérez knew how to digest it well.

The gamble was a lucky one for the energy drink team that takes the lead in the constructors' championship.

"Checo is a great teammate," conceded the Dutchman.

Third place went to George Russell in a reborn Mercedes.

Checo Pérez has had a busy couple of weeks.

Seven days before racing through Barcelona, ​​Carola Martínez and the Mexican driver announced the birth of their third child.

Already in the Grand Prix this weekend, the Mexican had to give the car to Juri Vips, the team's promise from Estonia, during the first free tests.

The Mexican's start had to be from fifth position after a rough qualifying.

That was not a problem for the Mexican who feels more comfortable from the most complicated places.

At the start he was aggressive to gain a position and it also helped him that Russell, who started fourth, passed in front of Carlos Sainz (initially third).

The Mexican's goal was to fight for third place, as it has been in the rest of the season.

And what a race that was sent.

Luck favored the rest of the grid when Sainz, the local hero, lost control of the Ferrari and went into the gravel on lap seven.

It was the opportunity to attack Russell, although the British denied him the door.

On lap nine, Verstappen also went off track.

Pérez was ahead of his partner, although he had to be friendly and let him pass.

Perez's tire change occurred on lap 18 in hopes of continuing the fight.

Further up the grid was a Verstappen with problems with the rear wing, the DRS, failing every time he tried to activate it.

The Mexican driver saw everything from behind and, given Verstappen's frustration, he asked the team to let him pass: "Get Max out of the way so we can overtake him quickly."

The engineer stopped him in his tracks.

On lap 27 another twist occurred.

Race leader Leclerc was so calm that the power unit failure woke him up aggressively and forced him off the track.

That opened up a dilemma at Red Bull: let Perez through to fight Russell?

Verstappen was asked to change tires and that allowed the Mexican to have his chance.

And what an opportunity.

Checo Pérez made one of his great maneuvers to deceive Russell and get into a hole on the asphalt on lap 31 The only Latin American on the Formula 1 driver grid, with a lot of patience and tenacity, managed to get into the lead of the race.

The Mexican extended the distance in front of the Mercedes until the Red Bull garage asked him to change the tires to hold out until the end of the race.

Verstappen, the world champion, still had to change his tires again.

It was on lap 44 when the Dutchman renewed the tires and, from that moment, the team's orders were already in sight: the Mexican had to let his teammate pass.

"It's very unfair, but it's okay," the Mexican said on the radio.

With twelve laps to go, Pérez was asked to fight for the fastest lap.

The Mexican did not waste such a delicacy and kept the extra point.

One-two for Red Bull at the end of the afternoon in Barcelona and, above all, that Verstappen snatched the lead from Leclerc and the team is also in the lead.

"It's good for the team, although we have to talk later," settled the Mexican with the third podium of the season.

Checo Pérez closes the weekend with third place in the standings (85 points), behind Leclerc (104) and Verstappen (110).

Czech Perez's 18

The pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, continues unstoppable.

Sergio Pérez adds his eighteenth podium finish in his stay in Formula 1. He celebrates two victories: 2020 in Shakhir and 2021 in Baku.

In addition to six second places (Malaysia and Italy in 2012, Turkey in 2020, Australia 2022, Imola 2022 and Spain 2022) and 10 third places (Canada in 2012, Bahrain in 2014, Russia in 2015, Monaco and Baku in 2016 and 2018, at the Grand Prix of France, Turkey, the United States and Mexico City in 2021).

subscribe here

to the

of EL PAÍS México and receive all the informative keys of the current affairs of this country