the covers off the VJM08, Force
India’s challenger that season. The
sponsors on the car then, and on his
current Racing Point machine, have
largely remained the same. Mexican
telecommunications brands Claro,
Infinitum, Telcel and Telmex are
intrinsically linked to the owners of
the buildings he’s visiting today.
The Soumaya museum is named
after the latewife of the man who
owns the priceless collection and
whose company built the Plaza
Carso complex next door. He also
happens to be the eighth richest
man in the world, with a personal
fortune of $60 billion. While Checo
is addressing the media and holding
the nation’s flag, the son of the
wealthy businessman, one Carlos
Slim Jr, is waiting for his star
driver on a roof terrace above the
shopping centre.
Carlos Slim’s vast fortune
developed in the 1990s whenthe
Mexican government started to
privatise its industries. ThroughTelmex, Slim acquired the
telecommunications business.
Today he owns 90% of the industry
and six years ago was listed by
Forbesas the richest man in the
world. His son, Carlos Jr, is a motor
racing fan and has been a long-time
financial supporter of Pérez, as the
Telmex-liveried Formula BMW and
F3 cars of his early career attest.
After Pérez finishes addressing
the local media, he leavesthe
temporarily erected stage and
enters the shopping mall, quickly
followed by an entourage of
photographers, fans, personal
assistants and members of the
Racing Point PR team. Ascending
the lift, he emerges on a roof terrace
where a small five-a-side football
pitch has been built.
The shirts worn by Pérez and his
fellow players featurethe logo of
a Carlos Slim-backed foundation
that has been established to help
children off the streets and into
soccer camps, showing there is aphilanthropic side to one of the
world’s richest families.
However, as Checo takes to the field in a competition where Blue (Azul)
play White (Blanco) there is no sign of any street children today. Half of
the players have ‘Slim’ on the back
of their shirts as various family
members get to play against racing
drivers (Haas tester Pietro Fittipaldi
and F2 racer Tatiana Calderon
are also on the field) andfamous
Mexican footballers, including
the flamboyantformer goalkeeper
Jorge Campos.
Pérez doesn’t spend long in
action, but does mark his prowess
with a neat little back heel to put
theAzula goal up. His time on the
pitch is limited because the clock
is ticking down to another round
of media appearances, this time
in a makeshift tent (adorned with
sponsor brands) with outlets that
includeF1 Racing.
Although this is Pérez’s home
race, he’s not from Mexico City.
He wasborn, and still has a home,
in Guadalajara, some 340 miles to“IT’S ARACE I
WAITALLYEAR
LONGFORANDI
ACTUALLYBASE
THESUCCESSOF
MYSEASONON
HOWWELLIDO
AT THISRACE”Allthecameras,professionalandamateur,were
focusedonPérez,whogavethecrowdafew
glimpsesofhisfootballingprowessF1 RACING DECEMBER 2019 63the covers off the VJM08, Force
India’s challenger that season. The
sponsors on the car then, and on his
current Racing Point machine, have
largely remained the same. Mexican
telecommunications brands Claro,
Infinitum, Telcel and Telmex are
intrinsically linked to the owners of
the buildings he’s visiting today.
The Soumaya museum is named
after the latewife of the man who
owns the priceless collection and
whose company built the Plaza
Carso complex next door. He also
happens to be the eighth richest
man in the world, with a personal
fortune of $60 billion. While Checo
is addressing the media and holding
the nation’s flag, the son of the
wealthy businessman, one Carlos
Slim Jr, is waiting for his star
driver on a roof terrace above the
shopping centre.
Carlos Slim’s vast fortune
developed in the 1990s whenthe
Mexican government started to
privatise its industries. Through
Telmex, Slim acquired the
telecommunications business.
Today he owns 90% of the industry
and six years ago was listed by
Forbesas the richest man in the
world. His son, Carlos Jr, is a motor
racing fan and has been a long-time
financial supporter of Pérez, as the
Telmex-liveried Formula BMW and
F3 cars of his early career attest.
After Pérez finishes addressing
the local media, he leavesthe
temporarily erected stage and
enters the shopping mall, quickly
followed by an entourage of
photographers, fans, personal
assistants and members of the
Racing Point PR team. Ascending
the lift, he emerges on a roof terrace
where a small five-a-side football
pitch has been built.
The shirts worn by Pérez and his
fellow players featurethe logo of
a Carlos Slim-backed foundation
that has been established to help
children off the streets and into
soccer camps, showing there is aphilanthropic side to one of the
world’s richest families.
However, as Checo takes to the field in a competition where Blue (Azul)
play White (Blanco) there is no sign of any street children today. Half of
the players have ‘Slim’ on the back
of their shirts as various family
members get to play against racing
drivers (Haas tester Pietro Fittipaldi
and F2 racer Tatiana Calderon
are also on the field) andfamous
Mexican footballers, including
the flamboyantformer goalkeeper
Jorge Campos.
Pérez doesn’t spend long in
action, but does mark his prowess
with a neat little back heel to put
theAzula goal up. His time on the
pitch is limited because the clock
is ticking down to another round
of media appearances, this time
in a makeshift tent (adorned with
sponsor brands) with outlets that
includeF1 Racing.
Although this is Pérez’s home
race, he’s not from Mexico City.
He wasborn, and still has a home,
in Guadalajara, some 340 miles to“IT’S ARACE I
WAITALLYEAR
LONGFORANDI
ACTUALLYBASE
THESUCCESSOF
MYSEASONON
HOWWELLIDO
AT THISRACE”Allthecameras,professionalandamateur,were
focusedonPérez,whogavethecrowdafew
glimpsesofhisfootballingprowessF1 RACING DECEMBER 2019 63