Formula 1: Hispanics dominate on the track

Formula 1 (F1) is growing by leaps and bounds in the United States, a country with a long tradition of motorsports, probably the most. This season, the premier class of motor racing will feature three races within the United States: the Miami Grand Prixi to be held May 5-7; the United States Grand Prix (Austin, Texas), to be held Oct. 20-22; and the Las Vegas Grand Prix from Nov. 16-18.

Among the drivers are three Hispanics with a good chance of finishing at the top of each race and in the final overall standings and, of course, in the Formula 1 championship. They are: Mexico's Sergio "Checo" Pérez and Spain's Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. Three races have been held so far (the Bahrain Grand Prix, Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and Australian Grand Prix). All three racers managed to finish in good positions.

Sergio "Checo" Perez

A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Pérez competes for the Austrian Red Bull Racing team. The Mexican has started the season in a spectacular way, with two victories in four races. He won at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit (Saudi Arabia Grand Prix) and at the Baku City Circuit (Azerbaijan Grand Prix) and finished second at the Bahrain International Circuit (Bahrain Grand Prix).

With four races remaining, Pérez is in second place with 87 points. Forecasts indicate that he will challenge his teammate and reigning champion, Max Verstappen, for the championship.

Fernando Alonso

The Spanish driver is a two-time world champion (2005 and 2006) and finished second in the championship on three occasions (2010, 2012 and 2013). After a somewhat turbulent few years with little success, he landed in the British Aston Martin team to find triumph again. So far, he's not doing badly.

Alonso finished third in the first three races. He is third in the overall standings with 60 points.

Carlos Sainz

Son of two-time World Rally Championship champion Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard is facing what could be the season in which he establishes himself as one of the best drivers on the Formula 1 slate.

Since 2021, he has been racing for the Scuderia Ferrari team. So far, he has not achieved any podium finishes and is in fifth place in the overall standings with 34 points.

Verstappen and Hamilton, the main challengers

There is no doubt that all three Hispanic racers have high chances of winning the Formula 1 championship. But they are not the only favorites. They are up against titans Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

The British driver Hamilton, winner of the championship on seven occasions (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) competes for the Mercedes team. For years, Hamilton was the best driver on the track, partly because his car was superior to those of the other teams. This season, he has only one podium finish (second place in the Australian Grand Prix) and has 48 points in the standings.

For his part, Max Verstappen is the reigning two-time champion (2021 and 2022). The Dutch driver is a teammate of Sergio Pérez (Red Bull Racing) and finished in the top three in the first four races (winner of the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Australia Grand Prix and second in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix). He tops the standings with 93 points.