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SERGIO PÉREZ picks up a pen and begins circling cities on a map of Mexico GP Racing has brought to the interview. “We went here, we went here,” he mutters, quickly filling the country with circles.
When Sergio was little he travelled all across Mexico from one kart track to another, together with his father and older brother – also a racing driver, who found success in the Mexican NASCAR series.
“From here to here,” Checo first points to his native Guadalajara and then Monterrey, “that was a 24-hour drive.”
GP Racing delicately observes that the two points on the map aren’t that far apart.
“We just drove in a motorhome and it stopped halfway through, because we had a water leak, so it just took us a bit longer,” laughs Checo. “I was around 12 years old, and I didn’t even race that weekend. I just went to watch my brother.”
Checo hails from a genuine racing family. His father Antonio Pérez Garibay was a driver manager back in Mexico, so both his sons grew up surrounded by racing drivers.
“We knew everyone on track, off track, so we had good friends around,” says Checo. “It was great fun, you know, we just enjoyed [travelling together], stopping on the motorways to eat some tacos. It was a very enjoyable time.
Yeah, we were all very happy just going racing.
“It’s very different, racing in Europe versus racing in Mexico. It’s much more relaxed, and everyone is much more friendly. There are a lot of friendships. I guess, also, when you come to Europe, and the series are more professional, things get more serious.”
Checo wasn’t
