That year, the Mexican capitalised on Ferrari’s strategic collapse at the pit-stop phase. In tricky wet conditions, Perez was among the first to roll the dice and pit early while the track was still treacherous.

By switching to intermediates ahead of his rivals, Perez seized control of the race and never looked back, managing the lead all the way to the chequered flag to claim what remains, to this day, his only victory on the streets of the Principality.

“Very special,” he said while appearing on the Cracks podcast. “I always dreamed of it. I remember when I went with my dad — I was already living in Europe, in Germany — and one time my dad took me to the Monaco Grand Prix. We snuck into the pits and the paddock back then. It was a race I had always dreamed of competing in.

Perez’s stint at Red Bull did not end on a high, with the gap to Max Verstappen in his final season proving a stark one. Even so, there is little doubt that the Mexican left nothing on the table in his attempts to deliver for the team.

“It’s just one example of everything I’ve given Red Bull,” he said, recalling a moment in 2023 when he spent an entire week in the simulator in a bid to work his way out of a difficult run of form.