Sergio Perez seems to have already made plans for his future beyond F1 as he continues to come under increasing pressure at Red Bull. There are fears that Perez could lose his Red Bull seat due to his underwhelming performances compared to his teammate Max Verstappen. Since the Mexican driver has failed to reach Q3 in each of his last five outings, there are speculations that the team may consider replacing him. As these rumors continue to gain steam, the 33-year-old seems to have plans of joining the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James by venturing into the $9,500,000,000 alcohol industry.
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The likes of Jordan and James are two famous sports stars with a strong interest in the tequila industry, one that Perez is keen to join. And when it comes to other forms of alcohol, several other sports stars also have their own brands.
The likes of Conor McGregor and Stephen Curry own whiskey brands while other big names like Daniel Ricciardo and Jeff Gordon have companies in wine. And lastly, Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas has his interests in gin.
Sergio Perez keen to compete with LeBron James and Michael Jordan
In a recent interview with motorsport.com, Sergio Perez opened up on the struggles that Latin Americans face while competing in a European sport such as F1. After explaining how this sport is so grueling, he also shed light on some of the plans that he has after he retires.
When asked the same, he replied, “When you are in Formula 1, the attention should be directed only to F1. But the truth is that there are plans that excite me a lot in the face of to the future and one of them is tequila, my own brand“.
If Perez is to venture into starting a tequila brand, he will face some strong competition from Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Jordan along with four other NBA owners launched a premium tequila brand called Cincoro.
On the other hand, James made a substantial investment in the Lobos 1707 Tequila brand. Since some of the top sports stars already have a strong interest in this industry, Perez will face some strong competition if he is to make a name for himself. And it seems that the Mexican is up for the challenge.
Perez took a huge first step to venture into the alcohol industry last year
Premium alcohol company Bacardi shot a video with Sergio Perez last year to promote their tequila brand, Patron Tequila. The clip showcases the 34-year-old’s F1 journey and how he became a hero in his country after becoming the first Mexican to win his home Grand Prix.
Since Perez is one of the most popular drivers in F1, he is likely to appear in more such videos. And considering that he is associated with arguably one of the biggest alcohol companies in the world, this could be a major step for him if he plans to launch his own tequila brand in the future.
