Formula 1: The pleasant memory of 'Checo' Pérez at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain

The 2022 Formula 1 season is already underway with the development of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Mexican Sergio Pérez is starting his second year as a Red Bull Racing driver on a circuit where he already knows what it's like to win: Sakhir. Although it is not specifically the same one in which he won the first race of his career back in 2020, the track is almost identical.

The championship two years ago was characterized by difficulties and constant changes in the makeup of the calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of activities in most countries resulted in the cancellation of more than one Grand Prix. Given this, the organization of the Great Circus together with the International Automobile Federation had to improvise.

Already in the second part of the year, the single-seater activity targeted the Middle East region with a double event in Bahrain. First with the realization of the well-known Bahrain Grand Prix and then with a variation in the layout of the laps that shaped the Sakhir Grand Prix, where Checo Pérez was just seen as the winner for the first time in a race.

In that race history touched on the epic. Still as a Racing Point driver, the Mexican started fighting for the top spots alongside Valtteri Bottas and George Russell de Mercedes, and Max Verstappen's Red Bull. On reaching turn four, Checo's car was hit by Charles Leclerc's Ferrari that overbraked, blocked brakes and hit.

An exit from the track and being moved to the last position were the consequences for Pérez. The event also had as collateral damage the current world champion, Verstappen, who in maneuvers to avoid a major collision could not avoid colliding with the safety barrier and leaving the race. As for the Mexican, he had no major damage and was able to assist in the pits to change tires and continue in battle.

From this, the native of Jalisco began a comeback rarely seen in the top category of motorsport. For this 60 laps, Pérez was already on the podium, in third place just behind the competitors for Mercedes. The Mexican's career was crowned with a stroke of fortune. During the pit stop of Bottas and Russell, poor planning left them out of the top spots.

That's how Checo took the lead. The rest of the laps represented a nerve in the team and in the driver, as just a week before, during the Bahrain Grand Prix, his career was ruined by a mechanical failure that took away the opportunity to score a podium just a few kilometers away from seeing the checkered flag. At Sakhir that time everything went well and Perez lifted a first-place trophy for the first time.

The context was also not easy. His departure from Racing Point had already been announced and for the following season (2021) he had no contract with any other team. All this while fighting for fourth place in the Drivers' World Championship and third place in the Constructors' World Championship. The victory probably meant the final argument for Red Bull to decide on him as their new driver for 2022.

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