Danny Herbert

Everyone’s aware of Sergio Perez’s somewhat precarious position at Red Bull right now.

It does indeed seem increasingly likely that this season could be the Mexican driver’s last for the team that finds itself not quite at the heights it enjoyed only twelve months ago in Formula 1.

Red Bull is set to officially evaluate Perez’s position in the team after the season concludes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the likes of Liam Lawson waiting in the wings (excuse the pun).

Something that simply cannot be overlooked, however, is the sizeable financial backing from personal sponsors that will have inevitably offered a helping hand to Perez and his F1 career. The most notable of which are certainly not your average driver sponsor!

This is of course nothing new in Formula 1 – in fact, all current F1 drivers have at least one personal sponsor.

Telmex personally sponsors Perez and also signed a separate sponsorship deal with Red Bull when Perez joined at the start of the 2021 season. It owns and operates most of Mexico’s telecommunications system with headquarters in Mexico City.

The company is described as providing fixed-line telephony services, including long-distance and international calling and internet access services. CEO of Telmex, Carlos Slim, whose father was the world’s wealthiest man in 2013, has been a key part of Perez’s motorsport career behind-the-scenes.

Unfortunately for Perez and his adoring Mexican fans, Telmex has been dealt a pretty major blow by the team Perez is adamant he’ll be racing for next season.

Red Bull recently confirmed it will “expand” its partnership with American telecom giant AT+T, from 2025 and beyond, which happens to be a direct rival to Telmex in Mexico. In what couldn’t possibly be any worse timing for Max Verstappen’s teammate, Red Bull has confirmed Telmex will no longer sponsor the team in 2025.

Slim has confirmed his Telmex/Telcel brands will remain as personal sponsors of Perez but will no longer be affiliated with Red Bull. Just that shift in proceedings could be a much more sizeable shift in fortune for Perez than you’d think.

Nonetheless, alongside Slim’s empire of brands, Perez brings sponsorship from Claro, Mobil, Nescafe and KitKat to the table – certainly bolstering his negotiating position at the team. But to exactly what degree these partnerships are valued by Red Bull’s commercial side is what could potentially determine Perez’s F1 future.

Quickly sifting through the aforementioned brands; Claro is another Mexican telecoms company, part of América Móvil, that has long been associated with Perez – appearing prominently on the Sauber and Force India cars during his respective tenures at these teams.

The hugely successful confectionery brands Nescafe and KitKat – both under the Nestlé brand – likely need no introduction. All you need to know is that Nestlé is the largest publicly held food company in the world!

Another notable name is that of the Mobil petroleum brand, operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil, which now operates as Red Bull’s official fuel, lubricant and motor oil partner.

Exactly how much Red Bull values the support that Perez’s management can provide in connecting them with a potential new sponsor is unclear. What we can safely assume though is that the Red Bull brand is certainly not strapped for cash, and the race team operated as one of the largest outfits pre-budget cap.

But the organisation is set to lose out compared to what it would have originally expected to receive in prize money for this season after the upturn in performance for Ferrari and McLaren. Red Bull has just slid down to third in the Constructors’ Standings, losing out to the prancing horses.

In addition, Christian Horner is keen to keep hold of the expensive Max Verstappen as rival teams and championships swoop overhead in an effort to tempt the three-time champion away. Horner’s also anxious to keep Ford happy throughout the team’s transition into its Ford-badged Red Bull Powertrains era.

All this comes together to create a situation in which Perez needs as many of his sponsors by his side right now, and the loss of Telmex as a Red Bull sponsor is a bitter blow to his chances. But, all is not lost just yet.