"What the f*** am I doing here?": Sergio Perez opens up about his difficult decision to leave home in pursuit of his F1 dreams

Sergio Perez is the most successful Mexican F1 driver in the history of the sport. However, his journey leading to the pinnacle of motorsport wasn't easy. Perez recently opened up about his early days as a GP3 and GP2 driver and how scary it was to leave his home country and pursue his dreams.

Speaking to The Athletic, Checo explained how bizarre the thought of leaving his home country felt when he flew to Europe at the age of 14. He explained how, for some time, racing became secondary and he was more focused on surviving in a completely new country and culture. He said:

"There were many points in that trip where I thought, ‘What the f*** am I doing here?' It was really big, to leave everything behind as a 14-year-old. To go out and fight for your dreams, it was a massive thing. It was quite shocking at the time. Racing became secondary. It was mainly about surviving.”

As time went by, Sergio Perez became more and more comfortable with European and British culture and started moving up the ranks, racing in GP3 and GP2. He also mentioned how he felt extremely comfortable with T-Sport, who signed him for GP3. He said:

"They really treated me like their son. It was a lot better then. Those years gave me an edge. I know that I’m mentally very strong. At the end of the day, it’s what you need to be in Formula 1."

Lastly, he stated how all these past experiences have made him who he is today and have allowed him to compete in F1 at the highest level possible, especially with Red Bull.

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Max Verstappen talks about his relationship and time spent with Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen recently opened up on his bond with his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez. Verstappen spoke positively of Checo and praised him for his valiant performance in the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. He also recalled how they were rivals back in Toro Rosso (AlphaTauri), but then got to know each other on a more personal level. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Dutchman said:

"I have got to know Checo (Sergio Perez) a lot better in the last few years. He drove brilliantly for the team when I won my first world title in Abu Dhabi. He was superb that day. We were rivals before, especially when I started out at Toro Rosso, and then I got to know him in a bit more personal way. What I like is that he is a family man and really cares for his friends."

Both have been teammates at Red Bull for two years now. Prior to that, they shared the F1 grid for almost nine years.