page_title: Sergio Pérez
section_title: 2018
hierarchical_section_title: Sergio Pérez / Formula One / Force India (2014–2018) / 2018
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: 11 Perez beim Rennwochenende in Österreich 2018
context_page_description: Sergio Pérez Mendoza also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver, currently driving in Formula One for Racing Point. He was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy until 2012. He took his first Formula One podium at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix with Sauber, a drive which won him plaudits and fuelled speculation of a move to Ferrari in the near future. However, Pérez later told reporters that he expected to stay with Sauber until at least the end of the 2012 season. Due to his young age and performance, he has been referred to as "The Mexican Wunderkind".
  Pérez joined McLaren for the 2013 season, but the car failed to deliver the team a single podium finish. Subsequently, for the 2014 season, the team decided to replace Pérez with Danish driver Kevin Magnussen very late into the season almost leaving Pérez without a seat. In December 2013, it was announced that Force India had signed Pérez in a €15 million deal. He remained with Force India after they went into administration in the latter half of 2018, and then their reformation as Racing Point F1 In 2019.
context_section_description: Pérez finished the first three races of the season outside the points. He then achieved his eighth career podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing 3rd after an incident-strewn race. He passed then-championship leader Sebastian Vettel for 3rd place with a few laps to go, making him the first driver to finish on the podium twice at the Baku City Circuit (in 2016 and 2018). Another points finish came with 9th place in Spain. In France, he retired from the race with an engine failure. Three consecutive points finishes followed, with 7th-place finishes in Austria and Germany.
  After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Force India was put into administration. This was caused by a group of creditors (including Pérez) taking legal action against the team. Pérez said that this action was taken to save the team and its employees from a winding-up order instigated by other creditors, which would have resulted in the team's collapse. Shortly before the Belgian Grand Prix, Force India's assets were purchased by a consortium of investors led by Lawrence Stroll, father of Williams driver Lance Stroll. The team was re-admitted into the championship as a new team—Racing Point Force India—keeping Pérez and Ocon as their drivers. At the Belgian Grand Prix, the team came back strong with Pérez and Ocon qualifying 4th and 3rd, and finishing 5th and 6th, respectively.
  Pérez took seven points finishes from nine races in the second half of the season. However, he faced criticism after a poor performance in Singapore. He collided with his teammate Ocon on the opening lap, causing Ocon to crash into a wall and retire from the race. He also collided with Sergey Sirotkin, an action that resulted in a drive-through penalty. He later stated that he thought his penalty was "fair". He later suffered a brake failure and retired from his home race in Mexico. He ended the season in 8th place in the championship with 62 points, finishing ahead of teammate Ocon and being the only non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull driver to finish on the podium that season.
caption: Pérez at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix
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