Checo Pérez: The secret story behind his firm with Cadillac F1
Checo Pérez is back in F1. Know the details of your negotiation to sign with Cadillac.
When the checkered flag fell at the ABU Dhabi 2024 Grand Prix it seemed to be the end of the race Sergio “Checo” Pérez in the Formula 1but the Mexican did not feel good to finish his long career like that, he wanted it to be in his own terms.
At first, Czech Pérez didn’t want to know anything about the F1 And he set out to enjoy life that he could not appreciate for his busy work schedule.
It must be remembered that Pérez went to Europe at 14 years of age and that he was 21 years away from his family, first to pursue the dream of F1, then to stay in him and finally to meet unimaginable goals such as winning great awards and fighting for world championships.
Thus, Czech dedicated himself to enjoying home and traveling with Carola, his wife and four children: Chequito, Carlota, Emilio and Olivia.
Beach, the same Vallarta as Punta Mita or Bahamas; Mountain like Vail or even a safari in Africa were some of the destinations of Checo Pérez, who also became a constant traveler to support his love team, America, as when he played in Las Vegas against the Inter Miami And he had the opportunity to greet Lionel Messi.
Once the F1 season, its substitute in Red Bull, Liam Lawsonbegan to “make water” very soon and the “ship sank” immediately.
The New Zealander lasted only two major awards, he could not with the RB21, while Max Verstappen He did, as always, miracles to be competitive. As we know, Lawson was sent from a kick to the purgatory of the equipment of the group of energy drinks, calling themselves Racing Bulls and the Japanese was promoted Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda has done things a little better, or rather less worse, than Lawson, but the seven points in 12 GP’s are a disaster. Again, the pilot complains that the limit cannot take an unpredictable car.
Lawson and Tsunoda’s failures became successes of Checo Pérez. The more bad the name of the Tapatío was claimed, even before the European press that had stoned it and made it the unique guilty of the bad results of 2024.
In large part, the bad image of Pérez was promoted by Christian Hornerwho, in the search to exempt the team he directs as a guilt, directed all the scarge in the direction of Czech.
Because Horner did not last long and was fired after the Silverstone Grand Prix.
Before, Czech Pérez began to give some interviews, particularly the one he granted, strategically to the official medium of the F1 and the reporter Lawrence Barreto, where he made it clear that he intended to return to Formula 1 in 2026, but before he wanted to spend, six months of sabbat.
There, Czech also revealed that he had several options with teams and that his representation team already worked on it.
What Pérez did not say at that time was that his hitherto agent Julian JakobiI no longer represented it. He did not say it because he had not finalized some legal issues with him, but in reality Czech himself had taken the reins of his career.
With Khalil Bestchir, former Lebanese pilot and youth friend, plus the strategic command of Carlos Slim, Czech Pérez began to shuffle options and browse the market.
It was important not to make a collected decision, although the pilot market seemed very closed, some spectacular movement could trigger seats and contracts were broken.
The key piece could be Max Verstappen, who said he was willing to detonate a clause in his contract with Red Bull and leave to Mercedes. This clause was activated if after the Hungary GP, the Dutch was in fourth or worse of the pilot championship.
Another great option was, of course, the entrance of Cadillac as an eleventh team of the F1 grill in 2026. General Motors I needed a fast, experienced, charismatic and influence in the North American market. The name Czech Pérez was present automatically. Even since December that it was already known that it would not continue in Red Bull.
There were other opportunities: Flavio Briatore waded the eye from Alpine; Jonathan Wheatley praised Pérez from Sauber And after bambaline other teams assured Czech, that if he endured until 2027, they could and wanted to make a space. One of them is said to be Haas.
There was some storm in the environment when Jakobi learned that he did not continue with Pérez, in addition to the noise that came out of the toxic Cima of Red Bull. Characters that did not want Czech to be considered, kick under the table and stabbing in the back.
Fortunately, for the Mexican, his reputation had positive spokesmen such as Wheatley himself and the respect he has earned Slim Domit In the F1 and the FIA, they mitigated the attempt to storm the detractors.
As the market pump did not explode, obviously the real possibilities by 2026 were reduced to two: Cadillac and Alpine.
The executive advisor of the new F1 team, the legendary Mario Andretti confessed to the podcast AM850 Racing That Checo Pérez was an option and although the main team, Graeme Lowdon, did not want to compromise names, the approaches were more than strong.
Andretti suggested from the beginning that the ideal combination of pilots for Cadillac should be an experience pilot and an American young man, even appointed Colton Herta.
The problem is that Herta did not have enough points for FIA’s superlicience, an unavoidable requirement to be able to pilot in F1, and to get these units, it had to be, at least runner -up of Indycar. In the end, Herta had an irregular season and did not have the points, but since his name was placed on the table he began to make serious mistakes and even defined.
Cadillac’s logical option, and said Lowdon, was to get the best available in the market. It was speculated that because the main team is also the representative of the Chinese pilot Guanyu Zhouthe Asian would have preference, but neither Zhou is better than Pérez or that Valtteri Bottas Nor was it convenient that the historical debut of the automotive industry giant, General Motors, had a Chinese face.
Others, like Mick Schumacher They tried to be present at Cadillac, as did the son of the great Michael in the first official event of the new team in Miami, last May.
There, many speculated that there would be an announcement of pilots, but that was not even remotely possible. Much less what circulated that Sergio Pérez would be one of them, no, at least at that time.
Let’s go back to the moment the market stabilized, where the half -table teams threw the anchors and clung to their pilots with contract. Because the reality is that Czech Pérez had no chance to hire with any of the “big” teams: only in a ‘multiverse’ (Pérez said in the podcast “From the paddock”) he would return to Red Bull, therefore, neither to Racing Bulls.
In the aforementioned interview with the Mexican podcast, Czech Pérez said he knew “of good source” that Red Bull missed him.
Mercedes was not an option, as less was Ferrari or McLaren. Aston Martin It would not open anything until 2027, Williams was committed to his pilots, just like Haas. Sauber was an unknown, which, although he has signed to Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoletoif the Brazilian saw an opportunity to jump to a more promising project would.
Sauber grew thanks to Wheatley’s leadership and Bortoleto will not leave.
Everything was reduced to the most unstable team of the grill that is Alpine, who dispatched Jack Doohan and now had Franco Colapint In a very disadvantageous situation to show its capacity.
Anyway, Alpine should not try to seduce Bottas Oa Pérez. Valtteri came quickly to an agreement with Cadillac and then Briatore charged to try to convince the Mexican. Alpine can only ensure two things in 2026: Mercedes engines and a lot of uncertainty. In addition, his decision on Colapinto, because Pierre Gasly was fixed, would dilate a lot to occur and the times already demanded a decision, he could not expect so much.
Checo and his team went to negotiate with Cadillac: salary, image, participation in goods (something that in a pilot as popular as Pérez is essential).
Cadillac meant leading a project with a view to building a large team, full of resources injected by GM and the TWG group, owners among other things of the Dodgers of MLB and the Lakers of the NBA.
Build from scratch, be the ambassador of a powerful firm that aspires to challenge the raids of the F1 Schools, capitalize on the work in a future vision.
A multiannual contract, which ensures two seasons and perhaps more as a pilot, but a relationship that is maintained.
The firm arrived between August 22 and 23 and set on Tuesday 26 of the same month in New York as the date and place of the official announcement of both pilots.
Many say that was signed and from their glass balls they claimed to have seen the color of the ink and the smell of the paper, but the truth is that it was very recently signed.
Thus, Czech Pérez will continue with its history in the F1 and its goal is to develop the place where, under its own terms its brilliant career in the highest category.
