Despite $102,400,000,000 Man in His Corner, Sergio Perez Lists “Complicated” Problems Behind Leaving Mexico to Become an F1 Driver

Sergio Perez is in driving for what is arguably the best team in F1 at the moment, Red Bull. He joined them in 2021, and his current deal sees him earning $10,0000,000 per season. However, it was not easy for the Mexican driver to come into the sport and make it big, even though he had a billionaire in his corner.

Perez‘s transition into the world of F1 wasn’t easy, because of the differences he had to adapt to at a very young age. To realize his dream, he had to leave his family and friends behind in Mexico to travel to Europe. There, the Mexican star had to work hard and endure difficult conditions, having to stay in a room full of truck drivers during his time in Germany.

But ultimately, he got the attention of Carlos Slim, a Mexican billionaire. Slim is currently their eighth richest man in the world with a whopping net worth of $102,400,000,000. He arranged an opportunity for Perez in Formula 3. This gave him the much needed push, as he climbed up the ranks to make it to F1.

Sergio Perez reveals the drawback Latin Americans have for F1 push

Since he hailed from Mexico, moving to Europe at a young age was not easy for Sergio Perez. Due to the cultural differences, Perez was forced to make several adjustments to make life easier for him.

According to Motorsport, Perez recalled the tough days he had to endure before making it to the top. He said, “Being very young, at 12-13 years old, is when you have to leave for Europe. Otherwise you arrive too late.”

“The tracks, the rules, etc., It’s more complicated. So, that’s why it’s so difficult for Latin American drivers today to get to Formula 1. Because leaving your country at such a young age is very hard,” further added the Red Bull driver.

Apart from this, the 33-year-old also faced a lot of problem with his sleep schedule, with him being used to a whole different time zone. Since there is a huge time gap, Perez had to sacrifice sleep in order to stay in touch with his family.

Perez endured hard days before he finally made it into F1

On his journey to F1, Perez had to endure a lot and work tirelessly. From working in a restaurant to supporting himself financially, to living in a car, Sergio Perez faced it all. Unlike most European drivers, the Guadalajara-based driver had to stay around 6213 miles away from family. He was completely alone, with no one close to him for a long time.

Since his days of living in a hotel room with truck drivers, Perez has come a long way. He hasn’t achieved his dream of becoming an F1 world champion yet, but nevertheless, has achieved more than what many people with lots of privileges have been able to.