Guadalajara Formula One racer Sergio Perez was back on the winner’s podium for the fourth time in his career and the first time since 2012 after finishing in third place in last Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.
This was only the second podium in the history of his new team, Force India, following Giancarlo Fisichella’s second place at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix.
Previously unheralded Force India now finds itself in an unlikely second place in the Constructor’s Championship after just three races. 24-year-old Perez is in 9th place in the Driver’s Championship on 16 points, while his co-driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany is in third place after finishing fifth in Kuala Lumpur.
“This podium is an amazing achievement and one of the most special results in my whole career,” said Perez, who enjoys cult hero status in Guadalajara. “This is a massive confidence boost, especially after the very hard season I had last year, and it was the hardest-fought podium I ever had.”After three podium finishes with the Sauber team in 2012, Perez joined McLaren, historically one of F1’s powerhouses. Unfortunately, Perez’s tenure there was a disappointment as problems plagued his uncompetitive car, and the British team suffered one of the worst seasons in its history.
Released by McLaren after just one season, Perez was picked up by Force India, owned by Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya. Perennially an underachieving team, Force India has seen a transformation this year, with its Mercedes engine outperforming its counterparts at McLaren and Williams.
The next race in the F1 calendar is the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 20.