Sergio Perez Still Treasures His Monaco Victory as Career Highlight
“Winning Monaco means writing your name into the history of motorsport,” says Sergio Perez, reflecting on his magical day at Formula 1’s most prestigious race.
The Mexican driver recently opened up about his 2022 Monaco Grand Prix triumph during an appearance on the Cracks podcast, revealing just how much the victory meant to him.
It was a masterclass in wet-weather racing. Perez seized his opportunity when Ferrari’s strategy fell apart at the pit-stop phase, making an early switch to intermediate tires while conditions were still treacherous.
That bold call changed everything.
Once in front, Perez controlled the race perfectly all the way to the checkered flag. To this day, it remains his only win on Monaco’s legendary streets.
“Very special,” Perez said with obvious emotion. “I always dreamed of it. I remember when I went with my dad — I was already living in Europe, in Germany — and one time my dad took me to the Monaco Grand Prix. We snuck into the pits and the paddock back then. It was a race I had always dreamed of competing in.”
His connection to Monaco runs deep. Before his win, he’d already scored a podium there with Force India in another rain-affected race.
But winning? That was different.
“Winning Monaco means writing your name into the history of motorsport. It’s a race like your home Grand Prix, and Monaco — the one every driver wants to win. And it happened. We won it, and it was very special.”
## Perez gave “everything” to Red Bull during tough times
Though his Red Bull journey didn’t end as he’d hoped, with the gap to teammate Max Verstappen growing too large in his final season, Perez insists he gave his absolute all to the team.
“It’s just one example of everything I’ve given Red Bull,” he explained, recalling a particularly difficult period in 2023 when he spent an entire week in the simulator trying to turn his form around.
That dedication to improving, even during the toughest moments, shows why Red Bull kept faith in him for so long.
Sometimes in F1, it’s those special victories like Monaco that define a driver’s career, regardless of how things eventually play out.
