Mexican GP 2022: All about the Formula 1 drivers from Mexico
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Mexican GP
Currently, Sergio Perez is the only Mexican Formula 1 driver on the grid, which has been the case since 2017. But there have been many in the past as well, even if they were not as successful as the current Red Bull driver. As the Mexican GP approaches this weekend, we briefly look at the numerous Mexican Formula 1 drivers.
Sergio Pérez
Starting off with the one you most likely know – Sergio Pérez. Pérez was born in Guadalajara, the capital of the western coastal province of Jalisco. Fondly known as ‘Checo’, he got his start with the Ferrari driver academy, of which he was a member until 2012. He made his debut with Sauber, but after ending his association with Ferrari, he moved to McLaren in 2013, where he only lasted one season.
Then, the Mexican moved to Force India in 2014 (later known as Racing Point) where he began to build up a reputation as one of the best midfield drivers. But somehow, at the end of 2020, he found himself out of a contract with the team. Red Bull decided to give him their vacant seat, perhaps boosted by his Sakhir win, and a P4 finish in the 2020 WDC.
Since then, he has been a great deputy to Max Verstappen, and a very solid driver in his own right. This season, he took his first-ever pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and has taken two wins, one at Monaco, and the other coming more recently in Singapore. He has a contract with the team until 2024, so if all goes well, he will be on the grid for at least 2 more years.
Pedro Rodríguez
The second most successful Mexican Formula 1 driver is Pedro Rodriguez from Mexico City, who made his championship debut with Team Lotus in 1963 at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, where he retired from the race. The next race was Mexico, where he unfortunately also retired. While he continued to participate in a race or two every year, his first ‘regular’ seat wouldn’t come until 1967.
In 1967, Rodríguez participated won his first race, in the first race of the season with Cooper Car Company. He continued driving for the team, but a mid-season accident at a Formula 2 event sidelined him for 3 races. He finished 6th in the final race of the season and sealed sixth place in the championship. His second and last win would come with Yardley, in 1970.
Rodríguez died in a racing accident at an Interserie race in Nuremberg, after the tyre came off from his Ferrari 512 M, and went into the wall, catching fire. He died shortly after being removed from the wreckage. The venue of the current Mexican GP is named after him – and his brother, Ricardo Rodríguez.
Ricardo Rodríguez
Pedro was not the first-ever Mexican Formula 1 driver, instead, it was his younger brother, Ricardo Rodríguez. The younger Rodríguez brother made, and still holds quite a few records. At 18 years and 133 days, he is still the youngest-ever driver to stand on the podium of a 24 Hours of Le Mans race (1960).
Rodríguez was given a one-off drive with Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix in 1961, in which he qualified second, just a tenth behind Wolfgang von Trips, and two-tenths above the eventual world champion that year Phil Hill. Unfortunately, he retired 13 laps in with a fuel system problem.
But the feat still made him the youngest ever driver to drive for Ferrari – at 19 years and 208 days, and the youngest driver to start from the front row. Until the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he was the youngest ever driver to compete in Formula 1, when Mike Thackwell broke his record.
Unfortunately, a promising racing career came to an end, right in the stadium which now bears his name. In a non-championship race, His Lotus 24’s rear right suspension failed and hit the barriers. Ricardo Rodríguez died immediately. The circuit, then known as the Magdalena Mixhuca circuit was later renamed as the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, in honour of him and his brother.
Esteban Gutiérrez
Esteban Gutiérrez, who currently serves as a development driver for Mercedes, got his start in Formula 1 with Sauber, who he first served as test driver in 2011 and 2012. This means that technically, with Pérez and Gutiérrez, Sauber had 2 Mexican drivers on their roster in 2011 and 2012. After the ‘senior’ Mexican moved to McLaren, Gutiérrez was promoted to the main seat, partnering Nico Hülkenberg.
2013 was the year when he achieved the only points finish of his career at the Japanese Grand Prix. He would spend two more seasons in Formula 1. After 2014, he was out of a seat in F1, but was made Ferrari’s test and reserve driver for 2015. In 2016, he took up a seat at Haas, but this season also marked the end of his career. Apart from F1, Gutiérrez has also raced in IndyCar and Formula E.
Héctor Rebaque
Héctor Rebaque drove 41 Grands Prix between 1977 and 1981 for teams as varied as Hesketh, Brabham, and even his own, eponymous racing team ‘Rebaque’. It was with his own racing team that he scored his first point at the German Grand Prix in 1978. In his final Formula 1 season in 1981, he competed in 14 races with Brabham, scoring a total of 11 points and finishing 10th in the championship.
Moisés Solana
Moisés Solana participated in 8 Grands Prix between 1963 and 1968, for teams such as Scuderio Centro Sud, for whom he made his debut, Lotus and Cooper Car Company. The Mexican driver did not score any points. Solana died in 1969 in a Hillclimb, when his McLaren hit a concrete trimming on the edge of the road, and the car flipped on top of him and caught fire. Turns 1-3 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez are named after him, known as the Ese Moisés Solana – the Moisés Solana esses.
Also Read: Mexican GP 2022 : Where and when to watch Sergio Perez’s home race?
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)