How £69bn tycoon Carlos Slim helped Sergio Perez keep Red Bull seat

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Sergio Perez relied on some outside assistance to keep hold of his Red Bull seat beyond the summer break. Inadvertently or otherwise, teammate Max Verstappen lent him a helping hand.

Speaking after the Belgian Grand Prix – a race where Perez fell from second on the grid to seventh – Verstappen attributed Red Bull’s recent regression to the car. That offered something of an excuse for the Mexican, who has only scored 28 points in the last eight weekends.

As a result, McLaren have closed to within 42 points of Red Bull in the standings. If they surrender their title to Andrea Stella’s squad, the team stand to lose $10m – or £7.8m.

However, cutting ties with Perez would also cost them a significant sum. In addition to paying off the 34-year-old, they would lose an array of associated sponsorship deals.

The former Sauber driver is one of the most prominent athletes in Latin America. Liberty Media urged Red Bull to keep Perez to avoid a significant drop in revenue at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year.

A six-time GP winner, Perez is the most successful driver in his country’s history. He’s competed in 271 races, which puts him in the all-time top 10.

Carlos Slim influenced Red Bull decision to keep Sergio Perez

According to Bild, Carlos Slim also lent Perez a helping hand. The Mexican tycoon is one of the richest people on the planet.

Red Bull bosses including Christian Horner and Helmut Marko met on Monday to discuss their driver line-up. But Slim also ‘exerted his influence’ from afar.

The 84-year-old offered financial backing to Perez at the start of his F1 career. And ‘there are voices saying’ he was involved in the decision to retain him.

Perez started his F1 career at Sauber in 2011, spending two years with the Swiss outfit before an ill-fated move to McLaren. He then rebuilt his reputation at Force India/Racing Point, earning another big move to Red Bull.

What is Carlos Slim’s net worth?

As per Forbes, the net worth of Slim and his family currently stands at $88.7bn. That’s the equivalent of about £69bn.

Slim is involved in telecommunications, construction, consumer goods, mining and real estate. He’s proven to be a valuable ally to Perez.

But Red Bull must ensure they’re making decisions for sporting reasons. Based on current form, McLaren will overtake them within a few races of the restart.

It’s worth remembering that Horner vowed to stand by Pierre Gasly in 2019, only a month before the team demoted him to Toro Rosso. Perez will test the team’s faith once again if he struggles in Zandvoort in a few weeks’ time.