The F1 star who refused to drive without the Pope in his car

F1 star Sergio Perez blanked out with the Pope in the background — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Being a Normal Sport

The F1 star who refused to drive without the Pope in his car

One F1 star wouldn't drive without a pope sticker in his car, genuinely.

Chris Deeley

Saturday 25 April 2026 22:42

Right. What's all this about then?

It's no secret that a lot of athletes around the sporting landscape are creatures of superstition. It's also no secret that a fair number of them are also religious. Maybe, then, this story shouldn't surprise us so much...and yet.

Apparently Sergio Perez won't drive an F1 car unless it's got a picture of the Pope in the cockpit.

Article continues under video

That information came from Bernie Collins on a recent edition of the Sky Sports F1 Show, with the former race strategist having worked with the Mexican star at Force India and Racing Point.

She initially raised the superstition in a conversation about drivers' race rituals, citing a 'driver who'll remain unnamed' before Simon Lazenby immediately identified that driver as Perez.

F1 HEADLINES: McLaren want Red Bull contract halted, Verstappen calls the shots

World's first 8-bit pope 'didn't work out so well'

"I know one driver," she said, "who'll remain unnamed, who wouldn't drive the car without a picture of the pope in the car."

"Hang on, that's Perez, isn't it? That's Sergio?"

"Yeah, yeah he won't drive it without the pope there. We tried to make it electronic at one stage, to try and save the weight of the sticker inside the car, but that didn't work out so well."

It's not clear if he still keeps a papal sticker in his cockpit at Cadillac – although moving to an American team to honour an American pope is a nice touch. He could also be, as far as we know, the first F1 driver to pay tribute to Depeche Mode with his own personal Jesus.

...Sorry.

Of course, the previous pope, Pope Francis, was famously an F1 fan. Pope Leo? We're not sure, but anyone who's on the record as a fan of the Chicago White Sox and the Bears must recognise some of the struggle inherent in rooting for a team like Cadillac in 2026.

F1 Sergio Perez Bernie Collins