RANKED: Sergio Perez's all-street Red Bull victories ahead of Miami showdown

Sergio Perez

RANKED: Perez's all-street Red Bull victories ahead of Miami showdown

Sergio Perez has earned his title as a street track specialist

Harry Smith

Thursday 4 May 2023 20:27

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Sergio Perez will travel to the upcoming Miami Grand Prix as F1's undisputed street circuit supremo following a dominant drive in Baku last weekend.

His triumph in Azerbaijan marked his sixth Grand Prix victory, but Checo's career path could have looked very different if it were not for the events of the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.

Previously without a drive for 2021 and beyond, his heroics for Racing Point that weekend earned him an F1 lifeline with Christian Horner and Red Bull calling upon Perez to replace Alex Albon as Max Verstappen's team-mate.

In the two and a bit seasons that have followed, Perez has now claimed a further five victories, all of which have come on street circuits.

With another street circuit triumph on the cards at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, here are all five of Sergio Perez's Red Bull wins ranked.

5. 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Perez needed just six races to record his first ever victory for Red Bull, pouncing on Verstappen's misfortune and a Hamilton error to make his return to the top step of the podium.

The Mexican qualified way down in P6 but made light work of Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly during the opening laps before blasting past pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to take P3.

Running long on the first stint, Perez stole P2 from Hamilton with the overcut and could have taken the lead from his team-mate if not for a slow stop.

Max Verstappen's tire failure gifted Perez his first win for Red Bull in 2021

Checo was patiently running behind his team-mate before a tire blowout took Verstappen out of the race, gifting Perez the lead for the red-flag restart.

When the lights went out for the second time, a mighty launch allowed Hamilton to sneak up the inside, but the Mercedes driver suffered from a huge lock-up at turn one, handing Perez a clear track as he cruised to a smash-and-grab victory.

Fortuitous circumstances allowed Checo to take victory in Baku that day, but Red Bull's new recruit stayed calm amidst the chaos when it mattered.

4. 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Sergio Perez failed to defend his second career pole position for more than a few dozen metres in Jeddah as he lost the lead to Fernando Alonso at the race start, but Checo wasted little time in reclaiming P1, returning to the front on lap four.

With Verstappen starting way down the order following a mechanical issue during Q2, Perez was free to open up a lead.

That lead was wiped out on lap 18 after Lance Stroll was forced to retire, bringing out a safety car. When the caution period ended, Verstappen was riding in P4 and by lap 25, the Dutchman was hunting down his team-mate for the lead of the race.

With his team-mate in hot pursuit, Perez managed a six-second lead to perfection, keeping Verstappen at bay to secure his first victory of the 2023 F1 season and consolidate his reputation as 'king of the streets'.

While many claimed that Verstappen's lowly starting position allowed Perez to claim victory in Jeddah, Checo had plenty of answers for the Dutchman's pace when the heat was on during the second half of the Grand Prix.

3. 2022 Monaco Grand Prix

Recovering from a qualifying spin that cost team-mate Max Verstappen a shot at pole position, Perez capitalised on some Ferrari self-sabotage to claim victory in F1's most prestigious Grand Prix.

Checo kept hold of P3 under pressure from Verstappen at a weather-affected race start, before committing to an early switch to intermediate tires.

Sergio Perez made history with his Monaco Grand Prix victory

The Mexican undercut the pole-sitter, Charles Leclerc, as well as his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, taking the lead of the race after his lap-23 pit stop.

Perez spent the rest of the Grand Prix fighting off the advances of Sainz to take his second-ever win for Red Bull on the biggest stage of them all.

2. 2022 Singapore Grand Prix

Rather than kicking on after his Monaco Grand Prix victory, Perez struggled as Verstappen dominated the field after the 2022 summer break.

That all changed in Singapore though, as Perez reminded the F1 world of his quality with a stellar drive in the wet.

With Verstappen down the order, Checo qualified in P2, but the Mexican jumped Leclerc at the race start to take the lead of the race on the opening lap.

Sergio Perez managed the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix to perfection

While the likes of Hamilton and Verstappen faltered in the spray of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Perez stayed calm, perfectly managing safety cars restarts and changing conditions to clinch a well-earned victory.

That win was a reminder of what Perez can do behind the wheel and a warning sign for Verstappen ahead of the 2023 season as the Dutchman closed out his second world title.

1. 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Perez's most recent Grand Prix victory may be his most impressive to date.

While many have cited luck as playing a considerable role in his previous Red Bull wins, there can be no doubt that Checo was the fastest of the Red Bull duo in Baku.

Perez cut Verstappen's championship lead to just six points in Azerbaijan

After securing victory in Saturday's F1 Sprint session, Perez capitalised on an early safety car to take the lead of the Grand Prix from Verstappen.

While he was somewhat lucky to jump Verstappen under the safety car, the 33-year-old had the measure of his team-mate over the ensuing 37 laps as he held a comfortable 2-3 second gap throughout the rest of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

With the chequered flag waving, Perez claimed his second win in four Grands Prix to kickstart the season, announcing his presence as a title contender for 2023.