Don’t ask Sergio Pérez for the aux cord when he’s behind the F1 wheel!
If you’re wondering how the Red Bull driver stays focused during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, music is not part of his strategy.
Ahead of his highly anticipated return to the prestigious motor racing event on Friday, Nov. 22, Pérez spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about the mindset that drives his desire to win, and he teased a collaboration with Ford that will fuel Red Bull for continued success in the future.
“We don’t have music. Our music is the engine. It’s our engineer,” he says, calling the high-speed vehicle’s hum the “voice of the engineers” as it ticks up to 200-plus mph during its zip around the grid on the famed Las Vegas Strip.
He adds, “That’s our engine. That’s our song.”
With six Grand Prix wins under his belt, the Mexican racing driver — famously nicknamed “Checo” by fans — has found a rhythm of his own since he made his F1 debut in 2011 and gone on to solidify his name in the history books.
Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing ahead of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 21, 2024.
Mark Thompson/Getty
While Pérez is locked in on this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing already has an eye on a winning future thanks to a new strategic partnership with Ford, which is making its return to Formula 1 after two decades.
Sergio Perez racing on the track during practice ahead of the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Together, they will develop the next-gen hybrid power unit — known formerly as Red Bull Ford Powertrains — to be used for the 2026 season and beyond. To Pérez, the partnership to build the new engines is “great” simply because of Ford’s historic name and legacy in Formula 1.
“It is such an iconic brand of the sport,” he says.
When peak speed of an F1 race car reaches an average of around 233 mph (achieved on the circuit’s long straightaways), adrenaline is at an all-time high. For Pérez, the rush never gets old.
Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the paddock during previews ahead of the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Mark Thompson/Getty
“You get it all the time,” he says of the thrill of driving at max speed. “We drive the fastest cars in the world, and what is really impressive is a cornering speed that you’re able to do. That’s something really unique.”
Now, Pérez is ready to accelerate to breakneck speed in one of the most electrifying atmospheres in the world: Las Vegas. “The event will be, again, a crazy one,” he says. “It’s a different one compared to the rest of the races, which is something I really like.”
He adds, “To be honest, I love so much this place that I’m just really happy to race in Vegas.”
Sergio Perez during practice ahead of the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Regarded as the most successful Mexican driver in the history of Formula 1, Pérez — who began his racing career in karting, finishing his first season in second place in 1996 when he was 6 years old — says, “It’s always good in a way to be able to take a step back and realize how far you’ve come.”
Pérez says he’s grateful to be in the position he’s in when reflecting on the challenging trajectory of the sport. “There’s a thing with Formula 1 drivers that when you start your career, you are always under a lot of pressure to go through the ranks,” he says.
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Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the paddock ahead of the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Clive Mason/Getty
But as for what his six-year-old self would say to a grown Pérez now if he knew all that he’d accomplish to date? “He wouldn’t believe. He wouldn’t believe at all,” he says with a smile.
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