Sergio Pérez holds a remarkable — and still unbeaten — record at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: the highest top speed ever registered by any Formula 1 driver at the Canadian Grand Prix. Back in 2018, the Mexican driver flew past a speed trap on the Montreal circuit at 349.7 kilometers per hour, a mark that no one has managed to surpass in the years since.

It's worth pausing to fully appreciate the context behind that number. At the time, Pérez was behind the wheel of a Force India — the midfield outfit that would eventually evolve into what is now Aston Martin.

This was not a car built to challenge for outright speed records; it was a midfield machine competing against machinery with considerably greater resources. And yet, Checo pushed it to a level that not a single driver, in a faster car or not, has matched at this circuit since.

The longevity of the record speaks to something that defined Pérez's entire Formula 1 career: a rare and extraordinary ability to extract the absolute maximum from whatever was beneath him.

Throughout his time in the sport, he consistently delivered results that exceeded what his cars were theoretically capable of — and that 2018 moment at Montreal stands as one of the clearest examples of that gift.

It is yet another reminder of the impact he has had on Formula 1 and why, despite never fighting for a World Championship, he remains an authentic reference point for his generation of drivers. That same quality was on full display when Pérez scored his first Grand Prix victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix — a race in which he recovered from the very back of the grid to take the win, producing one of the most unforgettable performances of that entire era.

When his future in Formula 1 looked uncertain, Pérez was signed by Red Bull Racing at the end of 2020 as the replacement for Alexander Albon. His four seasons at the Milton Keynes outfit were marked by genuine highlights: five race victories and two Constructors' Championship titles counted among his contributions to the team.

However, his form declined sharply — particularly in 2024, when he finished eighth in the Drivers' Championship while teammate Max Verstappen clinched the title with two races and a sprint still remaining. The performance gap also carried financial consequences, with Red Bull slipping to third in the Constructors' standings and losing tens of millions in prize money as a result.

After months of relentless speculation, it was confirmed that Liam Lawson would take Pérez's seat for 2025, becoming Verstappen's fifth partner at the team. Rather than stepping away from the sport entirely, however, Pérez confirmed his comeback — joining Cadillac for the 2026 World Championship, arriving in Montreal with a point to prove and a speed record that still carries his name.