Sergio Pérez Mendoza (born 26 January 1990) also known as Sergio "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver, currently driving for F1 team Force India. Pérez was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy until 2012. He also took his first Formula 1 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 however 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 Kevi