Sergio Perez opens up on 'very hard' personal F1 difficulty

Sergio Pérez has opened up about the "very hard" personal difficulty that comes with the fame of being a Formula 1 driver, particularly as the only current driver on the grid from Mexico.

Pérez’s first full-time campaign in F1 came with Sauber in 2011, before he went on to race for McLaren, Force India/Racing Point and, most recently, Red Bull.

His F1 career was close to ending after he was not retained by Racing Point, but it was saved when Red Bull offered the 35-year-old a contract.

Pérez completed four seasons with the Milton Keynes-based outfit before the two parties mutually parted ways at the end of 2024, leading to a one-year sabbatical.

However, the Mexican hero is back for 2026 with new American F1 team Cadillac. His return to F1 is significant for Mexico, with Pérez being one of the most followed drivers on the grid.

While he recognises that he inspires many people, Pérez — who has a young family — has revealed that he struggles with the fame that comes with being an F1 driver, believing he was not born for the spotlight.

Addressing life as Perez the F1 driver and Perez the family man, the Cadillac driver told the Cracks podcast: "I think I like to separate things. I like to keep my worlds separate; I don’t like mixing them much. 

"I think I’ve done that since I was very young, and in the end, when you’re such a well-known character, you automatically close yourself off, no matter how much you want more relationships or more friends. Your world automatically shrinks a lot.

"So when I’m with my friends, I already have my friends, and it’s hard to make new friendships in that sense because there are so many people around you that you always feel — I feel — very overwhelmed. I’m very private. Fame is very hard for me. You wouldn’t imagine it, but it’s hard for me. I’m a person who wasn’t born to be famous.

"I think there are people and personalities that are made for fame. For example, my dad is a person born for fame, and he always seeks it and always wants attention, right? And I’m the complete opposite. It’s something that’s always been very hard for me.

"So fame has always been difficult, and I think that’s why I’ve always separated it and know that this is a very important moment in my life — a moment where I inspire a lot of people. But it will pass, right? And tomorrow, I hope to be less known in the world and have a calmer life."