Why is F1 star Sergio Perez nicknamed Checo?

F1 is back as Red Bull look to tighten their strangle hold on the drivers and constructors championship.

They have every reason to be happy with their campaign so far with Max Verstappen leading by a distance despite Ferrari being perceived by most to have the faster car.

But Mexico's Sergio Perez has also been an integral part of their campaign so far, contributing a race win at the iconic Monaco Grand Prix and currently splitting Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the drivers championship.

The Red Bull star is affectionately known as 'Checo' in his home country and has over a decade of experience at the highest level.

Why is Sergio Perez nicknamed Checo?

Sergio Perez revealed in 2013 the reason behind his nickname.

And it didn't turn out to be as interesting as many would have expected.

He said: "It’s not really that complicated or interesting.

“In Mexico, where I come from, all Sergios are automatically given the nickname ‘Checo’.

“Sorry, there’s no story behind it!”

There is no further meaning behind the word 'Checo' in Spanish.

Many names in the language have shorter nicknames, such as Jose Luis becoming 'Pepe' and Francisco becoming 'Paco'.

But in 2021, Max Verstappen attempted to give Perez a new nickname after he heroically held off Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi to help his team-mate to the world championship.

Perez was labelled the 'Minister of Defence' by the Dutchman, but the name has not been used since.