Mexican Formula 1 racer Sergio “Checo” Pérez. Photo: Twitter

By KELIN DILLON

Mexican Formula 1 driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez of Red Bull Racing took the fastest lap during the free practice of the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday, May 20, with a time of 1:12.487.

The Guadalajara native, who used soft tires on the city track, beat Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and his own teammate Max Verstappen by .119 and .161 seconds, respectively.

Verstappen currently holds the record for fastest lap ever on the Monte Carlo track during the official race, with a time of 1:14.26 achieved during the event’s 2018 iteration.

Monaco is notably one of Formula 1’s few Grand Prix’s that take place on a street circuit, alongside Australia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, in the sport’s 2021 season

Red Bull Racing looks to take its first victory since 2018 at the track through the efforts of Pérez and Verstappen.

“I think every Grand Prix this year bar Bahrain, there’s been less than a 10th of a second between ourselves and the pole position,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “It’s been phenomenally close, and Monaco, we need to make sure we beat Mercedes in Monte Carlo. But we know that that will be incredibly tough.”

The Monaco Grand Prix will kick off on Sunday, May 23, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.