F1: Perez Not Bringing Money To McLaren, Says Manager Fernandez

Formula 1

F1: Perez Not Bringing Money To McLaren, Says Manager Fernandez

Sergio Perez will take over for Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next season...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted September 29, 2012 Balen (BEL)

Mexican Sergio Perez is leaving Sauber for McLaren next season. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sergio Perez’s new manager Adrian Fernandez insists that his protégé is not bringing money to McLaren.

Former Champcar/IndyCar racer Fernandez worked with Sergio’s father before the future F1 star was even born, and has helped him in the background over the years via his connections with Telmex. He has now formally taken over the management role.

“Sergio is an unbelievable driver and he has earned his place at McLaren,” said Fernandez on his website. “He is not bringing money to the team. He has been hired to race. His performances earned him this position, and that made my job easier because people were interested in him.

“The past few weeks have been hectic, but I am extremely proud of this accomplishment for Sergio, for his career and for our country,” said Fernandez on his website. “This is something that began a long, long time ago with Carlos Slim and Telmex – who supported Sergio’s career for many years – and the dream was realized when he joined the Formula One ranks.

“I am very thankful to Carlos and Sergio for letting me be a small part of the team then, and now to be actually taking over Sergio’s management. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help and support of Carlos and Telmex.

“It has been very enjoyable to work with McLaren, and I have to take my hat off to Martin Whitmarsh, team principal, and everyone that we worked with to make this deal possible. It took a lot of work, and I was very impressed with the level of professionalism from Martin and his team, and I have to thank all of them.

Fernandez also thanked the Sauber team: “We obviously owe a huge amount of thanks to Peter Sauber and his team, who gave Sergio the opportunity to compete in Formula One and show what he can do. I know that Sergio will be putting forth all his effort to finish on the highest note he can for them this year.”

Meanwhile, Fernandez said he was looking forward to the new challenge: “For me, it is hard to describe how happy I am. As many of you know, I have been a part of Sergio’s life since he was a kid, and his father worked for me for many years.

“He calls me ‘uncle’ and, even though we are not related by blood, it just shows how tight our relationship is. So, to see this all the way through to today’s (Friday) announcement, to know how bright his future is and to be a part of it puts me in a rare occasion – at a loss for words.

“I have been a successful driver and a successful team owner and now, with this, I hope I can be a successful manager and do a fantastic job for Sergio so he can really dedicate himself to racing and I can take care of the other areas which, to be honest, are the areas that I have been doing all of my life. I think it’s a good combination, and I definitely think we have a potential World Champion in our hands. As I have said, Mexico’s future in Formula One is shining brightly.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.