The relationship between Sergio “Checo” Pérez and Carlos Slim Domit is not only that of a sponsor and a driver, but that of two friends who grew up together around the same passion: motorsports. Since Checo was just a seven-year-old boy and began to take his first laps in karting, the Slim family became interested in his talent and accompanied him on a journey that seemed impossible for a Mexican driver.
The point of the ‘takeoff’ of the Guadalajara driver came in 2002, when the Telmex Team was founded under the direction of Slim Domit. There, Checo found a space where he could develop with structure, financing and international projection. The duo formed by the young driver and the businessman did not take long to consolidate: while Checo focused on demonstrating his speed on the track, Slim Domit was in charge of opening doors for him, securing sponsorships and designing a path that would take him first to Europe and, later, to Formula 1.
After having accompanied each stage of the Mexican idol’s career, from Formula BMW in Germany, through GP2, to his arrival at Sauber in 2011, when he became the first Mexican driver in decades to debut in Formula 1, Slim Domit was always a key figure in Pérez’s career and his arrival at Cadillac was nothing more than the ratification of a deep bond that goes beyond commercial and sports.
A few days ago, during the press conference where the announcement was made, the driver highlighted the relevance of the figure of the head of Escudería Telmex and his impact on the final decision, and for this reason, Forbes spoke exclusively with the businessman:
Forbes (F): -In the press conference Checo said that from day one you were in favor of him going to Cadillac and that you were convinced that that team was the best possibility for his return to Formula 1. Why did you think that was the best option?
Carlos Slim Domit (CSD): -Look, Checo is a pilot who has been very versatile. He has had a very impressive career in terms of the number of projects he has participated in. He participated in his first years with intermediate teams, he was with McLaren, unfortunately in a very bad year for them, then in Red Bull, and he was already runner-up in the world, and twice world champion for teams. He is a pilot who has had a career where he has been in basically all options.
-He always said that if he returned it was because there was an interesting challenge for him, to consolidate the conclusion of his career doing something that excited him, and within those talks what we saw is that being able to start developing a new team, which comes with a brand as important as Cadillac, was without a doubt the challenge that he was looking for to have that motivation to return. I really appreciate the comment, but I think it was something we talked about and that he also totally agreed.
-So, the challenge of being able to develop a new team, build it from scratch, contributing everything he knows and the experience he has had throughout his career, becomes a very interesting challenge as the end of his career or as the consolidation of a stage to conclude his story if he so wishes.
Read more:
Carlos Slim Domit: ‘Checo’s challenge with Cadillac is the consolidation of his career’
F: -And what does it mean for Escudería Telmex and for national motorsport that Checo incorporates Cadillac in this new stage?
CSD: -Various things. First, it is a recognition of the work he has done during all these years, but above all his results. I think it is validating it from several points of view.
-He is a driver who with intermediate teams helped them develop in an impressive way, achieving podiums where few people expected him to be competitive. With Racing Point and Force India he was fourth twice in the World Drivers’ Championship, was runner-up in the world, and was also a team champion. Therefore, it is a validation of the career he has had as a pilot.
-Second, I think it is a recognition of the ability he has to build within the team, the leadership he has with engineers and mechanics, plus the experience he can contribute, which at the same time is about knowing how to transmit it to build with them the development that the team needs.
-And the third, super important, is the importance that he can have as an image, both for the brand and its sponsors, and the connection he has with fans, not only in Mexico and Latin America, but in general throughout the world. He is one of the most beloved drivers and one of those who can provide the team with that fan following that becomes fundamental for them as well, without a doubt.
F: -What expectations do you have about Checo’s performance within a young project like Cadillac’s?
CSD: -I think that a new team will always have a learning curve. It’s a team that enters to compete with organizations that have been racing in Formula 1 for decades. Although some have changed their names or have been bought, the teams remain the same, as in the case of Aston Martin, which was previously Racing Point, before Force India, and initially Jordan, and when they enter to race they have a history of many decades competing, preparing. And that happens with engineers, mechanics and all the staff behind it. So, without a doubt, they are going to have a learning and performance curve that will be uphill at first.
-I think they are building the team very well, but the expectation will be to be able to build that learning curve over time, and hopefully they can have very good results, but our expectations are more about how the team will evolve, rather than believing that it will be competitive from one day to the next when they are just entering the category. But that is also the beauty of the challenge, being able to be with a team helping it build and develop, starting again from the beginning.
-Of all the teams in which Checo has been and all the projects in which he has participated, because if one was missing it was this, of being involved with a group that entered the category 100% new. So there is a lot of awareness that it is going to be a long learning curve, that it is going to be a difficult start to the season, but what must be evaluated is their contribution and that of the rest of the team, so that their performance becomes increasingly better.
F: -And finally, what opportunities does this new stage of Checo open for the Telmex Team and for the young Mexican drivers who see him as a reference?
CSD: -For the Mexican Grand Prix and for Mexico in general, having him back at this time developing a new project with a brand as important as Cadillac becomes very relevant. In addition, it is also an opportunity for everyone to see his value as a driver, as a team leader, as an image for himself and the support he has from the entire group of fans who follow him. This becomes very important for new pilots, because when there is talent and a career so well built over time, it shows that it is possible. Working hard and as he says, never giving up, because you can get there and be someone very relevant in Formula 1. However, he sets a very clear example of what an athlete of that level should be like, who has to work not only on his sporting skills, but also on his communication with the team, transmitting his experience, and performing harder when things get difficult.
In his final message, the businessman highlights that “hopefully the development he has with the team can be very good. We have to be patient because we know that this takes time to learn, but it will make a very good combination with the team that is being put together, even with Valtteri Bottas himself who is going to be a very important complement and all the people who are around, such as Graeme Lowdon (team leader), Dan Towriss (CEO of TWG Motorsport) and his wife, and all the people who are carrying out this project, which is going to be something that will give a lot of satisfaction.”
This article was originally published in the special print F1 edition of Forbes Mexico for October 2025.
You may be interested in: Forbes F1 Special: the new horizon of ‘Checo’ Pérez, in first person
