The Most Famous
RACING DRIVERS from Mexico
This page contains a list of the greatest Mexican Racing Drivers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,080 Racing Drivers, 7 of which were born in Mexico. This makes Mexico the birth place of the 20th most number of Racing Drivers behind Canada, and New Zealand.
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Mexican Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous Mexican Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Pedro Rodríguez (1940 - 1971)
With an HPI of 56.17, Pedro Rodríguez is the most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
Pedro Rodríguez de la Vega (18 January 1940 – 11 July 1971) was a Mexican racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1971. Rodríguez won two Formula One Grands Prix across nine seasons. In endurance racing, Rodríguez won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 with Ford, and was a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche. Born and raised in Mexico City, Rodríguez was the older brother of racing driver Ricardo Rodríguez, who became the first Mexican driver to compete in Formula One in 1961. Both brothers started racing at an early age, first on motorbikes and then moving to cars. Following his brother's death in a racing accident in 1962, Pedro briefly considered retiring from racing, but decided to carry on. In sportscar racing his first major win was with his brother in the 1961 Paris 1000km, driving a Ferrari 250 GT. He began his Formula One career in 1963, won the 1967 South African Grand Prix in a Cooper and the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix in a BRM. He won the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40 and won eight races in the Porsche 917 across 1970 and 1971. In July 1971, Rodríguez was killed at the Norisring in West Germany, driving a Ferrari 512 M in an Interserie sportscar race.
2. Ricardo Rodríguez (1942 - 1962)
With an HPI of 53.63, Ricardo Rodríguez is the 2nd most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Ricardo Valentín Rodríguez de la Vega (14 February 1942 – 1 November 1962) was the first Mexican driver ever to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix, competing in the 1961 and 1962 Formula One seasons. At the age of 19 years and 208 days, when first racing for Ferrari at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, he became the youngest Formula One driver to race for the legendary Italian team, a title he held until the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where his record was broken by Briton Oliver Bearman at 18 years and 305 days old. At this Italian Grand Prix, he also became the youngest driver to start a Formula One race until the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, and the youngest driver to start from the first row until the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, and at the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix he also became the youngest driver to score points in Formula One, a record he held until the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix. His death at the age of 20 in 1962 made him the youngest Formula One driver to die. His elder brother, Pedro, was also a noted racing driver who had much success in both sports car racing and Formula One, including a season with Ferrari in 1969, who was also fatally injured in a racing accident.
3. Sergio Pérez (b. 1990)
With an HPI of 50.40, Sergio Pérez is the 3rd most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 53 different languages.
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (Latin American Spanish: [ˈseɾxjo ˈpeɾes] ; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver, who competes in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2023 with Red Bull, and has won six Grands Prix across 14 seasons. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Pérez began competitive kart racing aged six. Graduating to junior formulae in 2004, Pérez won his first championship in the national class of the 2007 British Formula 3 International Series. He progressed to the GP2 Series in 2009, finishing runner-up to Pastor Maldonado the following season with Addax. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2010, Pérez signed for Sauber in 2011 to partner Kamui Kobayashi, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, where both were disqualified for an illegal rear wing. Pérez found greater success for the team in 2012, achieving his maiden podium finish in Malaysia, and repeating this feat in Canada and Italy. For the 2013 season, Pérez moved to McLaren, replacing Lewis Hamilton to partner Jenson Button. After a podium-less season for McLaren, Pérez signed with Force India in 2014. He scored five podiums with the team before their re-branding to Racing Point mid-way through the 2018 season. Pérez placed fourth in the championship with Racing Point in 2020, taking his maiden win at the Sakhir Grand Prix, having been in last-place at the end of the first lap. Replaced by Sebastian Vettel at the re-branded Aston Martin for 2021, Pérez signed for Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen; he took his first victory for the team at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Pérez took further wins in 2022 at the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix, amongst his maiden pole position in Saudi Arabia, finishing the season third overall. Pérez finished runner-up to Verstappen in the 2023 World Drivers' Championship, after additional victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. As of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Pérez has achieved six race wins, three pole positions, 12 fastest laps and 39 podiums in Formula One. He holds the Formula One records for the most starts before a race win (190) and the most races before a pole position (219). Pérez is set to remain at Red Bull until at least the end of the 2026 season.
4. Moisés Solana (1935 - 1969)
With an HPI of 46.85, Moisés Solana is the 4th most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Moisés Solana Arciniega (26 December 1935 – 27 July 1969) was a Mexican racing driver. He participated in eight Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 27 October 1963, and scoring no championship points. He also participated in one non-championship Formula One race. He also took part in Formula Two in 1968 with Team Lotus at the Jarama Circuit near Madrid, Spain. His first racing events were in a 1954 special (the "Solana Sports"), built by Javier Solana. Solana was also a proficient Jai alai player and his racing career was partly funded by this. In 1968, Solana tested a Formula Two car for Ferrari. He also drove for Lola and McLaren in the USRRC/Can-Am series between 1966 and 1968, and in March 1968 he won the first point-scoring race of the USRRC Group 7 series in the first international race in Mexico City. He still holds all the records in the Mexican road race categories and those at the Mexican Magdalena Mixhuca circuit. He was the only driver in the history of the Formula One World Championship to start a race in a number 13 car (Divina Galica, in the 1976 British Grand Prix, also attempted a race with the number, but failed to qualify), something he did for BRM on his Formula One debut in the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix until Pastor Maldonado adopted 13 as his permanent number in 2014. Solana was a classified finisher in 11th despite his engine having failed eight laps short of the chequered flag. On 27 July 1969, Solana was killed in the Hillclimb Valle de Bravo-Bosencheve in Mexico, in a fatal accident after his McLaren went wide in a bend and hit a concrete trimming on the edge of the road, overturning the car which landed on top of him and caught fire. The Solana family is still very active in motor racing and has manufactured handmade sports cars on a mostly one-off basis. The first chicane at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City (turns 1–3) is known as the Ese Moisés Solana ("the Moisés Solana Esses").
5. Héctor Rebaque (b. 1956)
With an HPI of 46.81, Héctor Rebaque is the 5th most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Héctor Alonso Rebaque (born 5 February 1956) is a Mexican former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 1977 to 1981. Born and raised in Mexico City, Rebaque participated in 58 Formula One Grands Prix. He founded Rebaque in 1978, entering a privateer Lotus 78 before constructing the Rebaque HR100 in collaboration with Penske, which he entered the final three Grands Prix of 1979 with. Rebaque also competed in Formula One for Hesketh and Brabham. Rebaque transitioned to CART for 1982, winning the Road America 200 in his rookie season; he retired from oval racing following a testing incident at Michigan International Speedway one week later. Rebaque returned to Europe for the non-championship 1983 Race of Champions with Brabham, before retiring from motor racing aged 27. Since his retirement, Rebaque has moved into business, operating several architectural firms across Mexico.
6. Esteban Gutiérrez (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 39.25, Esteban Gutiérrez is the 6th most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 39 different languages.
Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez Gutiérrez (Spanish pronunciation: [esˈteβan maˈnwel ɣuˈtieres ɣuˈtieres]; born 5 August 1991) is a Mexican former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 2013 to 2016. Previously, from 2013 to 2014, Gutiérrez drove for the Sauber Formula One team but lost his drive at the end of the 2014 season. He then signed with Ferrari as their test and reserve driver for 2015. Gutiérrez drove for the Haas F1 Team for the 2016 Formula One season. In 2008, Gutiérrez won the Formula BMW Europe championship title, becoming the youngest Mexican driver to win an International Championship at 17 years old. He also won the inaugural GP3 season in 2010. With the Lotus GP team in 2012, he became the first GP3 graduate to finish in the top three of the GP2 parent series. Gutiérrez has also raced in Formula E and the IndyCar Series. His younger brother José Gutiérrez is also a racing driver. Gutiérrez has been a brand ambassador for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team since 2024, and is the founder of EDASI Drive, the licensed Formula One merchandise distributor for Latin America and its Driver1.com brand.
7. Pato O'Ward (b. 1999)
With an HPI of 27.19, Pato O'Ward is the 7th most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Patricio "Pato" O'Ward Junco (born 6 May 1999) is a Mexican professional auto racing driver who competes full-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren. He is the 2018 Indy Lights champion. He is signed to the McLaren Driver Development Programme and is McLaren's reserve driver for the 2024 Formula One season.
8. Salvador Durán (b. 1985)
With an HPI of 26.54, Salvador Durán is the 8th most famous Mexican Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Salvador Durán Sánchez (born 6 May 1985) is a Mexican race car driver who raced in the FIA Formula E Championship for the Amlin Aguri team. Durán has also previously competed in A1 Grand Prix, Formula Renault 3.5, and the NASCAR Toyota Series.
People
Pantheon has 8 people classified as Mexican racing drivers born between 1935 and 1999. Of these 8, 5 (62.50%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Mexican racing drivers include Sergio Pérez, Héctor Rebaque, and Esteban Gutiérrez. The most famous deceased Mexican racing drivers include Pedro Rodríguez, Ricardo Rodríguez, and Moisés Solana. As of April 2024, 1 new Mexican racing drivers have been added to Pantheon including Pato O'Ward.
Living Mexican Racing Drivers
Go to all Rankings
Sergio Pérez
1990 - Present
HPI: 50.40
Héctor Rebaque
1956 - Present
HPI: 46.81
Esteban Gutiérrez
1991 - Present
HPI: 39.25
Pato O'Ward
1999 - Present
HPI: 27.19
Salvador Durán
1985 - Present
HPI: 26.54
Deceased Mexican Racing Drivers
Go to all RankingsPedro Rodríguez
1940 - 1971
HPI: 56.17
Ricardo Rodríguez
1942 - 1962
HPI: 53.63
Moisés Solana
1935 - 1969
HPI: 46.85
