Pérez rejects the comparison with Ayrton Senna

You have to go back to the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix, and the unfortunate Pedro Rodriguez, to find the last podium achieved by a Mexican driver in Formula One. A hopeful in the top category for several years, Sergio Pérez, by securing a splendid second place at the Malaysian Grand Prix, fulfilled the hopes that many seasoned F1 observers had placed in him. After an Australian Grand Prix where he once again demonstrated his ability to preserve tires – certainly aided by the intrinsic qualities of his Sauber – the young 22-year-old driver delivered a fantastic end to the race in Malaysia where he widened the gap on Lewis Hamilton and contested the victory with Fernando Alonso.

It didn’t take much for the specter of Ayrton Senna to resurface in Latin America, with some not hesitating to compare the performance of the Sauber driver to that of ‘Magic’ during the Monaco Grand Prix on his modest Toleman, where he finished second when victory was likely within his grasp. With Rubens Barrichello moving on to new horizons, Felipe Massa a shadow of his former self, and much still to be proven by Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Pérez would now, thanks to his performance on the Sepang circuit, carry the hopes of glory for an entire continent, like Ayrton Senna in his time. “It makes me proud that people compare me to someone like Senna, but I still have a lot to prove in my career before receiving such praise,” commented the Mexican during a visit to his hometown of Guadalajara.

The fact remains that the Mexican no longer hides his long-term ambitions: I believe that in two or three years, I will be fighting for the world championship title. Until then, barring a miracle at Sauber, the Mexican will have to join a top team capable of allowing him to achieve this ambitious goal at a time when no fewer than six world champions occupy the starting grids. Although he admits there is no foundation in the rumors sending him to Ferrari this season, the – still – Sauber driver acknowledges that joining a top team remains his objective: In the future, my goal is to be in a great team and to fight for victories. The most important thing is to have a car that gives me the chance to win races. In Malaysia, the Mexican undoubtedly had the necessary equipment and talent to achieve this.