CHECO PÉREZ: "Se acabó el SABÁTICO" | CRACKS PODCAST #365

On my farewell with Christian, I said, Hey Christian, what are you going to do when you don't work with Liam? He said, well, it's Yuki. And what are you going to do when you don't work with him? No, we have a lot of pilots. I said, well, you're going to use them all.

He said, yes, I know. It was very hard. I lived in a motel. I was with my mom, and she told me to go back. What are you doing there? I had very bad results, I wasn't doing well in the races. And I told her, you know what? I'm not going back until I'm world champion.

Tell me about that day when Nikki Lauda took off her cap in front of you. How does it feel to win a race from 18th place? What stars do you have to align?

Many, after not winning a race in so many years, I think I won the most special race in the history of F1. Leclerc crashes me, nothing happens to my car, I start to see that everything is fine, I enter Pits and I start to overtake with ease. I can get within the 5 or I can get to the points.

Then Russell punches the tire.

Yes! I was able to get to the points within five. Then Russell punched the tire.

I knew I had won.

You had the opportunity to wait and enter Ferrari.

You went from being the next world champion to being the next out of the Formula 1. Yes, it was all very fast. I started fighting the championship with Max. He won one race, I won another, he won another, I won another. What did they claim from you?

Everything.

Practically everything. If I was faster than Max, it was a problem. If I was slower than Max, it was a problem. When people complained that he hadn't let you pass, I said, let's see, do you have to have that attitude of wanting to win them all to be world champion? No. Something happens with Max, Max is an excellent person, but something happens with him when he's in the car,

he transforms.

Checo, what are you afraid of today?

Good question. I think that type of code is an example of many, of everything I gave Red Bull. I mean, I was so successful in the circumstances in which I was because I gave it absolutely everything.

Hello and welcome to a new episode of Cracks Podcast. I'm Josue Traba and I interview the brightest minds every week to leave you something unique and practical that you can use in your daily life. Today we start the year 2026 with an interview that I have been looking for a long time. And an interview for which today we are in Guadalajara, in the office of none other than Checo Perez, the most successful Mexican Formula 1 driver of all time. There are people we know for what they do, and others we believe we know because we see them every weekend on a track.

But behind the helmet of the starters and the expectations of an entire country, there is a man that very few have been able to hear for real. Today I want to sit with him not only to talk about the car, or the strategy, or the last race, but about the human being who had to survive the pressure, the loneliness and the noise to become one of the most resilient pilots of his generation. Today we are going to meet the Czech that almost no one knows, the boy who went to Germany alone, the man who learned to get up when the world doubted him and the mind behind one of the most fiercely determined competitors in world sports.

I hope you enjoy this interview with Checo Pérez as much as I do. Well, Checo, welcome to Cracks Podcast.

I'm all combed and everything.

Welcome to Cracks Podcast, Checo.

Thank you, we're finally here.

Finally, finally.

So you took more work than I thought, finally. So it took me more work than the engineer. When I saw the engineer, I knew he couldn't deny me. I had to come. Hey Checo, thank you for welcoming us in your office. I knew that if we didn't catch you in this break, it would be difficult the next two years to do an interview like today. And I want to talk a lot about what has brought you here

and especially what you have learned in these months that you have been able to put things in perspective. But to break the ice a little bit, I'm going to tell you that, and I see it a lot in the photos, I follow several watch accounts and you are a big fan of watches. And you buy watches every time something special happens.

Yes.

What was the last one and why did you buy it? The last one was a green Patek that I bought. I always mark them. You record them in the back. And I put Sabatico 2025. There's always a pretext.

That was the last one. Hey Checo, and another thing, talking to people close to you, I met you, you are a very joker. And what we see on TV and in the races, it's very intense. Tell me where this joker side comes from.

What is the joke that you celebrate the most or that you remember the most having done? Because they also tell me that you do some heavy ones. No, the truth is, I really like to make jokes, enjoy them with friends. And yes, in the races, everyone knows me very seriously.

But the truth is that I like to make good jokes. I've done several. I think a very good one is Luis Aguirre, who works here in the office. Carlos Slim has... Do you know Panda Show? Panda Show, the one who talks on the radio. He gave me his cell phone.

Poor Panda, I was bringing him, making joke after joke. And we made him a Guirre. We can't show it because it was strong. And then... A friend just sent him to New York. To a job interview.

That didn't exist?

That didn't exist.

There are good jokes, but it's also because they earn them. What gives you this duality? Maybe the more extreme the joke is,

does it compensate more for the intensity you live every day?

No, no, no. Many say that I do it to relax with them, but no. The truth is that I like it. I've always been a joker. I like to have a good time. And well, I told you the two jokes, like the heaviest I've done. But no, outside of that, they're always light jokes.

Chico, let's see, everyone thinks about you, right? Everyone has an opinion about you. They want to meet you, they see you in Formula 1, they see you in interviews, they see you in all the shows in Mexico. Well, let's talk about that, what a great commercial team you have. But who are you when the cameras are off,

and the cars are off, and no one is watching you?

I'm a father, a husband, a friend, a 35-year-old guy that feels... It sounds a lot, but I feel 25, with a lot of responsibilities, but also normal. I don't believe in the character. I feel that he's a character, when I see him in the photos,

or in the commercials, I've always been clear that he's a character, and that's what we have to do now, and that's a very important part of my life, but that will happen too. Tell me about this separation between the character and the person. Having lived so much, being in the spotlight, having so much success, I mean, he's the most successful Mexican

in motor sports history. How do you separate this character and why not be the same person inside as well as outside? I like to separate, I like to separate my worlds, I don't like to mix them. I think I've done it like this since I was a kid. And in the end, when you're such a well-known character,

you automatically close yourself. No matter how much you want to have more relationships, more friends. In the end, your world gets smaller. So when I'm with my friends, I already have my friends and it's difficult to create new friendships in that sense, because it's so much, let's say, the number of people who are on you, that you always feel, I feel very overwhelmed, I am very private. I'm very shy. Shy. So, fame is very hard for me.

You wouldn't imagine it, but it's hard for me. I was not born to be famous. I think there are people and personalities that are born to be famous. For example, my dad, right? He was born to be famous. And he always looks for it, and he always wants attention. And I'm the opposite.

It's something that costs me a lot. So, it has always cost me a lot that part of fame. I think that's why I've always been separated. And I know that this is a very important moment in my life. A moment where I inspire a lot of people. But what will happen?

And tomorrow I hope to be not so well known in the world and to be able to have a more peaceful life.

It's good that you're clear about that fact that you inspire a lot of people, because you're inspiring children, but also adults, to believe in them and in Mexico. But going back to the topic of friends, you leave, from a very young age you start to have an adult life, with a lot of responsibilities, a lot of demands, a lot of limitations. You go to Germany at 14 years old. How did you get there and leave your family?

What was this conversation you had?

What did you think you could achieve? I knew I could get to Formula 1. I knew I had a very good level in go-karts. I won everything, I competed against much bigger drivers. But I could never go to Europe. I never had the opportunity to race go-karts in Europe.

Why? For economic reasons. Mainly, my dad didn't have the money to send me to go karting in Europe. Go karting in Mexico, the United States, was already a huge effort for my dad. So, we never got the support to go to Italy. I looked for it everywhere.

But I was very clear. We never got the support to go to Italy, I looked for it everywhere.

But I was very clear, my dad, my brother, we knew we had to go to Europe. If I wanted to get to Formula 1, it was in Europe. You have to grow there, you have to develop there. Run on their tracks with their climate changes, be one more pilot of them. And I never had the opportunity of the go-karts. But I knew it was as good as any in Italy. You knew it? I knew it, I was clear.

Yes, because here I competed at a very high level. I had 12 years and I raced against 20-25 year old pilots. American pilots of very good level. So I knew I had the level to be in Europe and win there. But I never had the chance to do go-karts. So, when...

Well, after looking for it a lot, I convinced Carlos to send me to Europe. At that time, Formula 1 was not something to be looked for because it did not exist in our country. Here, there was only the IndyCar. I had very good drivers and the IndyCar was the most normal category for a Mexican, you are in the United States, it was the easiest and most possible to achieve.

And I wanted to get to Formula 1 and I knew I had to go to Europe, so I convinced Carlos to send me to Europe, I got the proposal of all the teams.

So I woke up early, like from 2 to 5 in the morning.

I was awake to talk to the teams.

Talk to all the teams to charge. One by one.

I already had the list of all the teams. So I started one by one. And what was your pitch?

Because you also say, it wasn't for them to pay you, it was for them to let you pay them.

Yes, yes. So, they are teams that if they don't know you, imagine a Mexican, they talk to a lot of pilots, so there is not much interest. They already have their teams. They talk to a lot of pilots, so there's not much interest.

They already have their teams. This was late in the season, because with Carlos we were always late to all the teams. We didn't have a plan, let's say, at the beginning. So we were already arriving in October, November. So how do I convince him? Because I need a good, nice and cheap team.

But there is no team. So I told them, I'm Sergio Perez. I speak very bad English. So it was difficult, but I already had my clear line. I'm Sergio Perez. I have a very big sponsor. The biggest in Mexico.

To get their attention.

Telmex. But they don't have a lot of money to invest right now. It was a big company, the biggest in Mexico, to get attention.

Telmex, but they don't have a lot of money to invest right now. So, they would hang up on me, send me a proposal two weeks later, etc. So, two weeks later, my mom came and said, What are you doing? We got a phone bill, right? Because it was very expensive to speak in Europe at that time. So we spent a dollar on the phone.

I said, no, I'm getting proposals from the teams. And I met a team that had a car. The team was already broken. But they had a car. they didn't have engineers, they didn't have mechanics, so I went with him, a great guy, his name was Gunter, a great friend, Gunter Unterreimer. I went with him, he listened to me, Mexican,

I said, yes, I need you to send me a proposal, but I don't have equipment, it doesn't matter, we'll put it together, get something together. Find a mechanic, an engineer, something like that. It was the cheapest proposal, but for a lot. And when I saw Carlos, I said, how did you get this? So from there I had the opportunity to go to Europe. My dad had a few miles of everything he had traveled. And he gave us to go on a trip. On a trip.

On a trip.

We went to Toluca. He took my sister. That day my mom wasn't going. No, my dad and my brother took me because we had a party of a friend's of my dad's. He took me to Mexico, we slept there.

And the next day they took me to Toluca for me to go to Germany. And that's how the story began. Hey, and you were knowing what the goal was, you were going to return, you were leaving your family behind. When I left, I wasn't aware.

I left thinking I was going to be a friend of all the Formula 1 drivers. That I was going to be in Europe. Imagine, right? You think about Europe and you say, well, Europe is the best in the world. So I'm going to be in the best cities. I'm going to have a great time.

It's going to be in the best cities, I'm going to have a great time, it's going to be a great opportunity, and when I arrived in Europe and I realized the little town that I arrived in Germany, it was all dark, what did I do? Carlos, who had trusted me to send me. So I already had a lot of responsibility at that time. It was no longer a game. I could no longer go back and say, you know what, dad, it's always very cold, this is very dark, it's very difficult.

So from a very early age, I had a responsibility to bring a very strong load and a very big commitment. Well, I'm going to interrupt this interview very quickly to remind you that on Monday, January 12, we started the challenge, Gana tu mañana 2026. There are 10 days in which I will teach you the habits to win your tomorrow, dominate your day and design your life with intention.

So go to ganaldia.com and subscribe. See you on the 12th.

I heard you went from having a normal life to being a totally alone guy in the middle of nowhere in the world. How did you handle that loneliness?

It was very hard.

My first year in Germany, especially my first months, because I left. I signed the contract in November and we got some tests in December. So, I left in December. Europe is very cold, it's very dark. So I remember that I lived in a motel. The team put me in a motel where the truckers stayed to sleep.

And the only thing I had was a Nintendo. I bought a Nintendo. And I didn't see anyone until there was training or tests. So I was there, I didn't know what to do. They were very long days, I slept a lot almost all day. I had some very long time breaks.

Speaking to Mexico was very expensive. I remember that Carlos at that time preferred to buy me a cell phone there than to give me a cell phone in Telcel, because it was so expensive, because I had to pay a lot. So they better buy me a cell phone from there.

But it was very expensive. I was telling you that it was 50, 100 thousand pesos a day without problems. So I couldn't speak to Mexico. To connect to the internet, go to the cybercafés, look for one, but there was nothing in the town.

So it was very hard. Those moments were very difficult. And then, when the year and the season started, the owner of the team saw me very lonely and said, hey, I'm going to make a restaurant in the small town. If you want, you can live there.

The chef was going to live there. I was happy to go to the restaurant because I was going to have company. It was much better. I lived above the restaurant. I was also very lonely,

but at least there was coexistence, there were people, he helped the chef a lot. You never thought of throwing the towel? Yes, of course, many times. How did you get rid of that thought? At first, as soon as I arrived, I said, what did I get myself into? What is this? Where are the Formula 1 drivers? I won't see them here, but in life... So, when I was thinking, I said, you know what?

I was talking to my mom, and she told me, come back, what are you doing there? What are you doing? You're not alone there, and so on.

And I was thinking, you know what? I estés allá solo, tal y tal.

Y lo pensaba, ¿sabes qué? Pues a ver, lo tengo que intentar. Lo más difícil ya lo tengo, ¿no? Que es la oportunidad. Entonces, lo tengo que intentar, lo tengo que intentar. Mi hermano me empujaba mucho a quedarme

porque él justo acaba de regresar de Europa. Ya no pudo seguir allá, ya no tuvo la oportunidad. Just got back from Europe, I couldn't go back there, I didn't have the chance. They told me, hang in there, hang in there, because getting back is the easiest thing you can do. Stay there, stay there, keep trying. And I had a friend, a fucking Toledano, who was in the same situation as me, but he was in France. We talked all day.

In the end, when I got to the restaurant, I already had internet from the neighbor. I already had internet from the neighbor. So we could chat. And well, it was much easier once I was in the restaurant. But I also had very bad results. I wasn't doing well in the races.

I didn't even understand the engineers because I didn't speak English. They didn't speak English. Everything was in German. So, the communication, a lot of lack of communication and a lot of lack of patience because in the end they didn't know what I was going through. And for them, I was just another pilot. And you also say that, no matter how much you were suffering from this loneliness,

you turned around and the other pilots your age were experiencing the same thing. Yes, well, not so much because as a Latino, I have always said, the Latino has a different weight.

Do you need more?

Yes, totally. I think so, because of the issue of loneliness, that you have to go early, it's not the same to go back home with your family, with your friends, with your life that doesn't change you so much, to go back and be totally alone, away from everyone. That has a very expensive price as a Latino that you have to pay to be able to get to Formula 1. When did you make that commitment to yourself? When, and I don't know if the day came, when you stopped needing to be encouraged? ¿En qué momento hiciste ese compromiso contigo? ¿En qué momento, y no sé si llegó el día, en el que dejaste de necesitar que te animaran?

Sí, fue un día que estaba en Alemania, que le hablé a mis papás. Ya estaba por regresarme, si no, si sí. Y sabes que dije, no, ya tengo la oportunidad. Es lo que quiero, es lo que, para lo que soy want, it's what I'm good at.

The easiest way to come back and I told them, I'm not going back until I'm world champion. That's what I told them. And...

And from there, I recorded that and I always had the vision that this is going to be temporary and this is going to happen and the good times will come. And did this change of thought generate a change of attitude or action? What did you start to do differently?

It was like a stage of maturity, because when I got there I was a kid. I was a total kid. So it was there that I made a change. I matured. I realized the opportunity I had. I talked to my friends around me.

They were involved in motor sports. With my brother. So they made me aware of the opportunity I had. That it doesn't happen again. Opportunities come to you once in a lifetime. So, if I came back at 18 and wanted to do it again,

the train had already left. So, I knew that it was there, it was now, and I was going to try everything. So, I also changed my attitude a lot with my team. I went from being a naughty boy, because I did naughty things. All the time I was looking for how to entertain myself.

So I went from being that naughty boy to an adult at a very young age. And that was an important change. Today is a very bad story. We are like in November. It's very cold in Germany. I finally got the proposal of the best team.

I convinced Carlos to go to the best team. You're going to be able to leave the restaurant. I'm going to Berlin. So, happy. We were going to try the new team. I arrive with my seat, because in those categories you travel with your seat.

So I arrived with my seat. I say hello to the engineer and I get on the bus. Wait, wait. That's where the term comes from, that you don't have a seat.

You travel with a seat.

In those categories, yes. It is used that you travel with your seat. So, since it's the same car, to not do it again, the team I was with took my seat. So, the race was over, we were in Hockenheim. They took my seat, I got in the team's truck,

they have a motorhome where they travel for all the races. Hi, Frank, the engineer was his name. Hi, Frank. Yeah, I'm ready. And I'm ready. Y ya me siento. Y hacia mucho frio, entonces como que a mi con el frio siempre me duermo.

Entonces ya me subo con mi asiento y me duermo. Hacíamos tres horas a Berlín. Entonces ya cuando me despierto, estamos parados. Ya llegamos. Me dicen, no, seguimos still here. Where's your dad?

I said, what?

I come alone. What do you mean you come alone? I said, yes, I travel alone everywhere. And we were still standing there in Germany. Why don't you tell me anything? I thought you already knew that I traveled alone everywhere.

And that was a good anecdote. You arrive, after a long time, you arrive at F1. And we can save the ups and downs that there were many. You arrive at F1 and then you face not only the reality of the demand of this sport, but also the risk of death. Very fast you arrive to Monaco,

which leaves you unconscious, leaves you for several weeks half touched in the head, in the good sense. What made you think? Before you had already felt the fear. I already knew, from a very early age,

when you are in the go-karts, when you are in the lower categories, you know what you are dedicating yourself to. You know the risk you have. But I always say, when I got to Formula 1, I already had a character. Imagine everything that gave me those years, at 14, 15, 16, 17 years old, that no university in the world would have given you. So, everything that happened to me in Formula 1,

all the ups and downs, everything that happened, happened to this boy who had a character that was totally armored. So, I can say that everything that happened in Formula 1 was very easy. The difficult thing was the beginning of my career. From 14 to 18 years old, that was very easy. The hard part was the beginning of my career. From 14 to 18 years old, that was very hard. And that forged me, gave me a very different character,

I would say, to many. You also had very young children. For many athletes, and I have spoken with athletes of all kinds who risk their lives every week, just like you, they decide to postpone having a family, having children, until after their retirement.

Some say it takes away the edge or gives them a little more fear, responsibility. What did you think? Did you change your perspective of risk? Yes, I changed it under the car. Under the car I became a little more... Not fearful, but more conscious. I was very unconscious car. I was a little more... not scared, but more conscious. I was very unconscious in everything I did.

For example, I threw myself off the Bungie 20 times. Right now I don't feel like throwing myself off the Bungie. But inside the car, you don't think about it. You don't think about being a father, or a brother, or a husband. You only think about... It's weird, but when you're in the car, you don't think about the danger.

You're so focused on your job that it's not something you think about. But under the car, yes. Or when there's turbulence on a plane. Sometimes I laughed. Well, I still laugh. It's not something that mortifies me, but you do think about it more. Under the car, a little more.

Tell me about that day that Niki Lauda took off his cap in front of you.

Yes, Niki is an example for all riders. He was always a great example. It was a race in Monza that started, I think, in 2014. And it was when the tires were wearing out a lot and I almost won the race. I finished second, like three seconds behind Hamilton. I did a great race. I was a Ferrari driver and I beat the Ferraris in Italy.

I was at the Ferrari Academy, so at that moment, normally when you beat Ferrari drivers, you are not very loved in Italy. But I, especially with Alonso, who was fighting for the championship at that time, I had a great race and Niki Lauda gave me the trophy and took off his cap in front of me. Well, for me it was a very special moment in my career, because doing it in Italy, in front of all the fans, all the fans were happy for me, that I had won. They saw me as part of their home.

And with Niki Lauda giving me the trophy in my second year at Formula 1, it was one of my best moments. There are people who don't understand that many things, or perhaps the vast majority of things that happen in Formula 1, are out of the driver's control. It has a lot to do with the machinery, with the team, even with politics.

For you, you quickly realized this. You don't jump from Sauber to... Well, you had the opportunity to wait, and to get into Ferrari, and to paint the race a little bit. And you decide to take an opportunity from McLaren. And you say a phrase that impacted me a lot.

What happens from being the next world champion to being the next out of the Formula 1. Yes, it was all very fast. He was the most desired driver on the grid. That's what young people have that. When a young rider arrives and gives a very fast result,

all the teams want him. Because he doesn't know what he can achieve. So he had three different options from three big teams. One of them, obviously, Ferrari, because I arrived at Formula 1 thanks to Ferrari for being part of his academy. And the logical thing was to follow that path.

But Ferrari couldn't offer me a seat until 2014. I was desperate, young, you want to go to the best team, to start fighting for championships. And I was desperate. And out of nowhere, he got the option. We never thought that...

I always thought there were two teams where he would never race. Which were McLaren and Red Bull. Because they always have their drivers very forged by their academy. And that's where McLaren came in. Hamilton was nervous because Hamilton was going to leave the team. And if Hamilton didn't go to Mercedes, he also had the option of Mercedes. So, McLaren arrived, very convinced and everything, and they offered me a contract.

And I took the contract.

What did you feel? Because you arrive at the champion team to replace the champion. Yes. And you bring all this champion team to replace the champion.

And you bring all this impetus. It was my moment. McLaren had made the best car in its history. They said it. We made the front of a McLaren, the middle of a Red Bull and the back of a Ferrari. So it's the best car in our history that we've made. They had just won the championship a year earlier.

So the rules didn not change much. It is very rare that a team takes such a big step back and it turned out to be the worst year in the history of McLaren. Just when, in my third year at Formula 1. And there was a clause that they had to renew me, they don't renew me at all, but very late in the year. They tell me very late in the year. And I was left without a seat. There were no places.

How did you manage that frustration all year?

It was frustrating.

It was a difficult year because I was fighting with Jenson, a very stabilized pilot on the team, world champion. I had a very good year in terms of speed, but we never showed it because we never made progress with the car. They decided not to renew me and I didn't have a place in the F1 in October or November. There were already two teams, Caterham and Force India.

Caterham was not an option, I was clear about it, I was not going to go to Caterham. I preferred to stop there.

In Formula 1.

If you were at the table, leave Formula 1. Yes, it was a very real option. Look for another category. Maybe one more year, see if I could go back. It was not an option. And when Force India was given,

it was a good option on paper, but it wasn't what I expected. Imagine, I went from being up there, not having a seat, to a good place with Force India. And those were my best years in Formula 1. How do you handle these moments? Because it has happened to you many times that you run out of equipment.

And you come back.

Yes.

How do you handle that uncertainty? I tell you, when I lived everything I went through at that age, at 14, at 18, I can tell you that I have already lived it all. So, anything, any inconvenience that there is in my career, it will not be anything more difficult than surviving being alone in Germany. So, I always see it that way. And in the end I know that in God's hands everything will be fine.

And in the end it's my way of seeing things.

What did McClary teach you that year?

That you don't have to give up. You have to learn a lot from the bad moments. I learned a lot. I think I was very young young, immature in many things. I could have been more professional. I could have done different things that I was 23 years old at that time.

So it was a learning experience. More professional within the team, in the moment of the transition. Within the team, having supported McLaren more in the bad moments, maybe having taken different attitudes, he taught me a lot in that sense. And yes, he taught me to be more professional with my job, with my profession.

You say that without what happened to you at McLaren, today you would not be who you are. And certainly after seven more years of racing, of everything you've lived, all the successes you've had, it's very easy to turn around and say, how good that happened to me. But at that moment, did you think that something good was going to come out of that?

No, I knew I wasn't going to do my career again, what I was at that time. Yes, I thought that being world champion was no longer in the cards. Not because it wasn't good, but because coming back, you have a lot of doubts. Formula 1 is about moments, right? There are many very good drivers. And you don't explain why such a good driver is in such a bad team. And it's because his moment is not there, it hasn't arrived.

The stars haven't aligned. And at that moment everything was aligned. I had three different teams. I could choose which one to go to. And I ended up not having a seat. And in Force India, it was year after year.

In my third race I made a podium. Things that McLaren never did. In a small team, we started to make podiums. I think I made 10 podiums in my race with Force India. So, in the end, I was close to returning to Ferrari. Then I had the opportunity with Red Bull.

But it was after 8 or 9 years that I was there. And not without drama. A year later. Yes, and not without drama. You had to rescue a team. Yes, the team...

Our owner at that time was Villeymalia. And he had problems... You did it in jail, right? No, it's in England. You can't leave England. And... The team had a lot of debts.

With many suppliers, I hadn't paid. And I was one of the debtors. I mean, creditors. They hadn't paid me. So, I could put the team in administration. Because if I put it in administration,

it could be that someone would buy us as a team. That someone buys the team. When you are in the administration process, they put an administrator, and the administrator sees the offers so that the team doesn't crash.

How do you make that decision? I mean, are you risking your money? What was on the line for you?

There were many things because one was not to think so much about my career, but about all the people, a Formula 1 team. You're talking about more than 800 people working on the team, right? And many of them travel, you've traveled with them for years. And then I knew that, well, that this could end, right? And the work could end for many people.

Many people very close to me. So, along with my manager, along with the main team at that time, we didn't see a way out. The only way out was maybe for the team to go bankrupt. And well, everyone starts over. Someone buys it and starts over.

And everyone was left without a job. And the option came up that I put it in administration. So that a buyer arrives. So we did the legal process. We put the team in administration. And Laurence Ton bought it.

And that's what Alton Martin is today. And many... Well, I think 90% of the people who work there are people who were with Force India at that time and who were able to continue with their work.

You're in Force India. You've started 190 races, Checo. You've never won a race.

Well, sorry. And all this, putting it in the administration, being together with lawyers, everything, while I'm running in Formula 1. So it was a topic... I remember that before the races I had meetings with the lawyers. Before the qualifications, instead of having meetings with the engineers,

they were meetings with the lawyers. I learned a lot about laws and everything I had no idea about. Administration, chapter 11 and everything that is a company. So that was a very interesting process.

Before returning to that, didn't that experience make you dream of owning a team?

No, the truth is that I have always been clear. What I like about racing and being a pilot. And the day that ends, I'll move on to something else. 190 races without winning. You had the record, right? What does that do in your head?

I think of Hulkenberg without having done a podium in decades.

And you say, you have to weigh yourself at some point, see everyone go through the right and have their podiums and have their triumphs and you say, I've done everything and even that last achievement escapes me. How did you handle it?

In the end I knew it was circumstantial, that I had not done it by circumstance, I had never had the car to do it. But it's still hard. Yes, it's hard, it's hard because it's something you don't get in your whole career. But in the end, in the world of Formula 1, they knew it was as good as...

I mean, it wasn't because I wasn't good. So that left me very calm. Or because I wasn't a professional or because I wasn't disciplined. So that part kept me calm. Because I knew that I had not reached victory. Because I had never had a car capable of doing it.

In all these years of Formula 1. And 190 races, I had the record of more races without victory. I also didn't have a team for next year. Because Laurence Troll came in, so they had hired Betel. And I didn't have any team for the next season.

It's that, Checo, you say that you had lived everything. This destroys you. To any normal person, you are doing everything right, you save the team. You haven't won, but you are running very well in a car that doesn't give for more. This speech that you have in your head to say, I'm sure and totally, absolutely sure that I'm giving it my all, and what happens outside of my control is not my control.

It's a very deep job, and then they come and tell you, well well, thanks. My son stays and the former world champion comes.

And you, who did all this, fix it.

Yes, let's see.

First, I am very aware that Formula 1 is like that. It's cold and it's hard. And two, there are many things that as a pilot you can't control. So I am very aware of that. There are many things that I can pilot you can't control. So I'm very aware of that. There are many things I can control and I focus on that. On what I can control, right?

Being a better pilot, being in the best physical shape, being a professional with my team, pushing them, giving good feedback to the engineers. I can control all the rest. If I have a new team, if there is a contract or not, I can't control that.

So, I said, you know what? I'm going to enjoy it. It can be my last races in Formula 1. I've had an incredible career. I finished fourth in the World Championship. I said, well, if it has to end here, I gave it my all until the last day. And Red Bull arrived.

And you get to go.

The victory arrives, which also transformed. How do you go from place 18 to win a race? What stars do you have to align? Many, many. After not winning a race in so many years, I think I won the most special race in the history of Formula 1. From last to first.

In the start, Max and Leclerc. Leclerc crashes me, Max crashes in the wall. Nothing happens to my car. I come back, change tires. And that race was very interesting because Bahrain is a race... that degrades the tires a lot. But this was the year of COVID and we raced two or three races because Bahrain is a race that degrades the tires a lot.

But this was the year of COVID and we raced two or three races in Bahrain. But they changed the circuit. We went from a circuit that had a lot of curves, a lot of traction, to a circuit that was much faster. After the practices, I tell the team, this Bahrain is totally different.

The degradation, here there is no degradation here. So let's take off all the wing. All the aerodynamics to go faster. All the downforce. No, no, but Bahrain is the circuit that degrades the most in the history of Formula 1. I said, yes, but this Bahrain is different.

Let's take off all the downforce. No, no, but we are in Bahrain, we're going to degrade, we're going to be changing tires.

This is not said by telemetry in the practices, right?

No, because we all arrived in Bahrain, and we know that Bahrain is the hardest circuit on tires. The asphalt is totally open, so it degrades a lot on the tires. But I knew it was another circuit, it was a lot of straight, very fast curves. And you didn't degrade. You had a lot of time to get the tires in the straights. So I totally changed the car.

And I knew I had a very good car for that race. And when they crash me... I knew it was my chance for that race. And when they crash me, I said, well, something happened to the car. And then I start to see that everything is fine. I enter PITS and I start to pass with ease.

This is going to be a good race. I can get within the 5 or I can get to the points. And once I get to the points, then top 5, then top 2, then top 1. At what point did you know you could win the race? There were 8 laps away. And I was driving at the same pace as Russell.

Russell was behind in a Mercedes. And I was 8 seconds behind him. And he was discounting me like 4 tenths per lap. So I said, well, he's going to get to the end. At the end of the race. But he's not going to pass me.

Because he's going to slow down and I have a lot of top speed. So I knew that as long as I didn't make mistakes, I wouldn't pass. So I knew at that moment that I could win. And when... Well, when Russell punctured his tire. He punctured his tire.

Yes.

He had to go to Pits. So I knew I had already won, I had like 10 seconds or so. You are the first Mexican to win a race in 50 years. You had started 190 races without winning. What happens inside you? What weight is released from your back?

I remember seeing that race live and seeing you cry and see... I mean, making sure your son was watching you. Yes, it was an incredible moment. I fulfilled my dream, winning in Formula 1. It was what I had dreamed for a long time. I already knew what I felt, what was going to happen,

it was going to be a bonus. And I already knew that if I didn't get to Red Bull, I already had options for the next year. I was very demanded at that time as a pilot because I won races, I was fourth in the world championship. I already had two different options for the next year. I had to make a year's reservation and go back to the next one.

And you would have made a reservation? Yes, yes, there yes. Because I heard you say that this time you would not be back on the reservation. No, not right now. I was at another point in my career. I think that's the life of an athlete, right? It depends on what point you are at. It depends on what you are willing to do too.

Monaco? I always dreamed of a game when I went with my dad. I was already in Europe, in Germany. And once my dad invited me to the Monaco race. We went to the pits, to the paddock. It was a race that I dreamed of racing. And then I had a podium with Force India. It was very special, a very good race.

A race that in the rain and everything, I reached the podium. So I had already achieved it. But winning Monaco is getting into the history of motor sports. It's a race that... It has the race of your country and Monaco, that all the pilots want to win.

And...

And yes, it happened. We won it and it was very special. Juani told me that he met you in Monaco. I mean, they met in Monaco when you were a kid. And he bet you $10,000 if you won a race. Yes, I was at René Hash, we were at a hotel. And he told me, Rene, you're going to get a sponsor, come.

And Juani was there. I didn't know Juani. He told me, look, you have to sponsor him. Juani was like, what? If you win the next three races, or five races, I don't remember. I was in Formula 3 English. If you win the next three races, you talk to me and I'll sponsor you.

This... So, to get rid of me. So, I won the first, I won the me, I won the first, the second, the third. And I called René and asked him to give me Juan's phone number. And he said yes, so I could win the three races. And from there...

18 years. We've been together for 18 years. We've seen everything. Today Inter is a huge company. When we started they weren't that big. And well, it became a family.

More than a sponsor. I was lucky in this career. Many of my sponsors have become my family.

When you enter Red Bull and you have two extraordinary seasons, you finish as a world runner-up, you are in the best team in the world, the champion team. You did it, champion. You're the secretary of defense. I mean, you're in the mouth of not only all of Mexico, but of the whole world. How, despite the fact that you had been for a long time and you had many ups and downs, how do you deal with fame at that time?

How do you avoid that the ego takes over you?

No, after everything that had happened, all the ups and downs, I knew that Formula 1, you're up, then you're down, like in life. So, everything was momentary. We had the best team, unfortunately everything was destroyed. We had the team to have dominated the sport for the next 10 years, I think. And unfortunately everything ended, but I was in the best team.

A complicated team, because being Max's teammate in Red Bull. Just being Max's teammate is very difficult, but being Max's teammate in Red Bull is the worst job in Formula 1. But very far. And well, everyone forgot. When I got to Red Bull, I started to have results. Everyone forgot how difficult it was to be in that seat.

And I was very aware of what was coming. You get to Red Bull, you start competing against one of the best pilots in history. That's my question. Did you believe or wanted to compete or had you been hired as a pilot number 2?

And what does that do in your head?

Totally, I knew what was coming. This project is made for Max. Red Bull, when I sit down with Christian for the first time, he tells me, look, we are going to race with two cars because we have to race with two cars. But this project has been created for Max. Max is our talent. It's like if Carlos Slim makes a team and I'm his pilot, right?

And you hire a Dutchman. So it's the same. So I got to that and I was very aware. I told him, it doesn't matter. I, in this team, I'm going to develop the car in this team, I'm going to support the car, I'm going to support the team.

But when you start winning, isn't it tempting?

Yes, of course. Especially in the early seasons. In 2022, when the car, by mistake, because it was very heavy, we had a very heavy car that had the weight distribution much forward, so it was much more stable, it was always what I was looking for. So at that moment, I remember that from the simulator,

it was faster than the Max, I was already arriving on weekends, already thinking about winning the race. And everything came automatically. As a driver, when you don't have to think about how to drive, what the car is going to do to you, automatically everything comes. And then we had a car that was maybe not so much Max's style.

And in 2022 I started to fight the championship with him. Until the improvements arrive. And when the improvements arrive, there is a very clear direction in which the team has to go. And that's when I start having problems. Because I don't know what the car is going to do in the curve.

I'm already thinking about not crashing. The crashes start, the accidents start. You don't have 100% control. And then, in 2023, the same thing happens. The team makes a much more stable car for the two drivers. But as soon as the improvements arrive, in 2023, if I start fighting the championship with Max,

he wins one race, I win another, he wins another, I win another. In the four races, we had won two and I won two. So, we were very even. And when we got to the final, In the four races, we had won two and I had won two. So we were very even. And when we got to Barcelona,

we were fighting one second per lap slower. I mean, I no longer controlled the car. Then all this pressure begins. All this pressure that was very hard, because who is the culprit? The pilot, right? Because you are not focused, because you are doing a lot of commercials,

or because you are in other things. What did they claim from you?

The team.

But you did a lot of commercials. Everything, practically everything. In Red Bull, everything was a problem. If it was very fast, it was a problem. Because, of course, a very tense environment was created in Red Bull. If I was faster than Max, it was a problem.

If I was slower than Max, it was a problem. So, everything was a problem. So, I also learned a lot. Well, the circumstances circumstances I'm in, instead of complaining, I have to do the best I can, and get the most out of it.

But to accept that from the outside, all of Mexico is complaining, the press of Formula 1 is criticizing you, and you know that there's not much you can do, and it's a year, and the second year, and they start talking about cancelling your contract. What does that do in your mind? Did you have mental health issues?

Did you approach someone to support you?

Yes, yes. Well, first, as soon as I got to Red Bull, in the first races, when I didn't give results, what you need is a psychologist. You have to go with a psychologist. I open everything, of course. So I talk to the psychologist and I say,

Hey, what's your name? No, well, Sergio Perez, and so on.

You, and so on.

Where were you from? An Englishman. I say, hey, I don't have time for a session today, but we'll talk, let's look for an hour, right? Ah, perfect. And one day I arrive at the Red Bull factory.

And he says, hey, there's a receipt for you. And 6,000 pounds from the psychologist. I say, can you send it to Helmut? He's going to pay for it. It was 6,000 pounds for a call. So, he told me, how did it go? Perfect.

With this session we already have... And that's how we lasted three years. He was cured with the psychologist. The results started to come. Well, the call worked. And then, in the last years,

it was so much that I said, well, maybe I do need help. The results are not coming. I looked for him everywhere. But deep down I knew perfectly that when you have a car that you are thinking about what is going to happen, what is going to be, in which curve you are going to crash, you can't go fast. And you have your whole team against you. Publicly it was very difficult. I think that only someone so mentally strong can bear something like that. And I remember when I was in my last farewell with Christian.

I said, hey Christian, what are you going to do when it doesn't work with Liam? He said, well, it's Yuki, what are you going to do when it doesn't work with him? I told him, we have a lot of pilots. He said, well, you're going to use them all. He said, yes, I know. We already knew, but it was also so much pressure that happened in that year.

Cristian had some problems. So it was also a bit of a distraction. I was a lot of distraction. Nobody talked about anything but me. About my performance, how bad I was doing it. Did they ever make you believe the story that you couldn't?

Yes, yes, many times. But I always knew it wasn't me. You never doubted? Never, never. Because I remember in a race, in Spa, they were about to cancel my contract. That was half a year ago. They didn't cancel it. We went back to Sandford. I was already complaining a lot about the car. We went back to Sandford.

And Max starts to complain about the same things that I don't. I mean, Max is the driver who can hold back the most, he doesn't feel it, he has a way of driving that he doesn't feel at the back. So when Max complains about that, it's very bad. And in Italy, he says, Max, I can't drive this car anymore. So I said, finally, finally they will listen to us.

The next race, the team modifies the floor, they put me a new floor, with the modifications that Max asked for, they put it to me. I'm a second faster than everyone else in practice, when they put me on that floor in Baku.

And it was going very well And it was going very well. Everything was going very well. He qualified. Well, I fought the race, right? I was going to win that race. And that's when I crashed with Sainz.

I destroyed the car in the last lap. And I didn't touch that floor again. Because it didn't arrive anymore. There were very few races left.

And there was one.

And no longer. There was one. And no, the improvements continued. But everything was for Max. So from there I was going 2, 3, 4, 5 races behind. And I never had that car again. What would have happened? Who knows. I also think that things happen for a reason.

But when the Red Red Bull happened, I felt sad, but I knew that it was the best thing that had happened to me. I was very at peace with myself because I gave everything to the team. And Red Bull gave everything to me. I think that we are... Both of them are very grateful that I was part of their team,

as I was part of their team,

as I was part of Red Bull. I have an incredible relationship with everyone, with Shalem, the owner of Red Bull. I talk once a week. I think that's life. In the end, everything is based on results,

but you always have to be grateful. And I am very grateful to Red Bull because it changed my life.

Is there something you want to learn from Max? Good and bad.

Yes, a lot. Max is a super strong rider mentally. He has a lot of confidence in him. He has an impressive talent. He is focused on the sport, on the races, on being the best rider.

And he is a great force for the team. He is a great force for the team. He's a great leader. In the team. And I think the bad thing is his character. When things go wrong, it's hard for him to deal with it. Like what happened in Barcelona.

He blocks himself. He has that part. I think if he didn't have it, Max wouldn't be there either. When people complained, and I'm talking from an amateur, they complained that he hadn't let you pass, that he didn't reward you for what you had done for him. I said, let's see, does he have to have that attitude of wanting to win them all to be world champion? recompensaba lo que habías hecho por él. Yo decía, a ver, ¿se tiene que tener esa actitud de quererlas ganar todas para ser campeón del mundo?

No.

Algo pasa con Max. Max es una excelente persona, pero algo pasa con él cuando está arriba del coche, se transforma. Se transforma, es otra persona. Y yo creo que... traía algo en él que... que nunca lo sacó. Porque lo hablamos. He had something in him that he never got out of his head. Because we talked about it.

We talked about all the problems that happened that year. We talked about it and we thought that it was over. The whole team thought about it. We were all surprised that he got it out of his head at that moment. You say that the most difficult thing about being a Formula 1 driver is managing the press. How do you manage the hardest thing about being a Formula 1 driver is managing the press? How do you manage the press?

How do you deal with it? Do you take it to the side?

Or do you completely block it?

Because it's part of what you have to play. Formula 1 is a press that has a lot of people. It's very involved with the drivers, managers, teams. It's controlled by many teams. So, inside, you know that it doesn't matter what happens. Whatever is said.

But outside, it affects a little more. But as a driver, I think that the drivers are not affected much by what is written. Because we know what plan is written. But when it's not just the press and your friends, people who know you, your own country, who are talking bad about you.

Yes.

I think it was also complicated, because I had bad results, I had very good results, but I think that at the end of the day... And today even more, I think it has been my best year in Formula 1, the one I didn't race and the one that everyone realized the success I had, and today it has much more value. But it's easy to talk about it But it's easy to talk about it. It's easy to talk about it because...

I remember once I was in Qatar. I was fighting for the World Cup with Hamilton. I had had very bad races. I was in my worst crisis with Red Bull. Because the car no longer controlled it. After the race, my wife spoke to me.

My son was in the hospital, Emilio. He was in the hospital with pneumonia, very strong. And I was going through a very strong crisis with Red Bull, with the car. And I was fighting for the under-championship. I was going to be the first pilot in the history of Red Bull to get it. So it was very important.

And so I needed to do something. And I talked to the doctor. I told him how serious it is. He's not going to die. So I said, you know what? I have to go to the team.

I went to the simulator all week. I did five days. The team, man, what are they doing here? What do they do in the simulator all week. I did five days. The team said, man, what are you doing here in the simulator? And I think that kind of thing. That's an example of many, of everything I gave Red Bull. I had so much success in the circumstances I was in,

because I gave it absolutely everything.

And what do you do with this culture?

I don't know if it's Latin, because I gave it my all. And what do you do with this culture?

I don't know if it's Latin, of...

of giving our all instead of supporting each other sometimes. It hurts, right? Because when they criticize you, for example, at that moment, it's like, you're doing a lot of commercials, I mean, you want to tell them,

they have no idea what I'm doing, nor me, nor my family, or my wife, or my children, or all the people around me, for being here. And with my hand on my waist, they talk about you,

they criticize you, they criticize your lack of professionalism. When they are behind a computer, eating potatoes all day, and they don't know what they're talking about, it hurts. But I I think as a country it is something that we have to improve a lot. We have to support our athletes, our people.

We have to feel proud and we have to support them not only in good times, in bad times. We have to learn from other countries how they do it. For example, I am impressed with the Argentine fans. How they support Franco. And Franco is a great pilot.

And he has his whole country turned to him, supporting him. I think it's something that we really have to learn from that. We have to support not only our pilots, our footballers, our athletes, our people in general. We have to support ourselves more as Mexicans. It's something we have to change a lot.

I think the new generations are changing it a lot. But yes, something that we need to improve.

How do you get into the area before a race?

Very normal. Warm up, stretch, I do neck exercises. It's important to work the neck for the strength you're going to have. And a little reaction and that's it. And in terms of mentality? You have a meeting with your engineers where the strategy is discussed.

You already know what strategy they are going to follow, or the different scenarios that will be. Then automatically you start thinking about the race. Hey, to be connected with the family, when you have twenty-something races around the world, you are changing schedules dramatically. When you're connected to your family, when you have 20-odd careers around the world,

you're changing your schedule dramatically. Do you have any practices that keep you connected to your family? As soon as I wake up or when I go to sleep, I always talk to my kids, my wife. I'm connected on my cell phone. So, I'm always up to date. And when you come back, do you have something that connects you with Carola?

Yes, for example, we go to dinner. Because it's also very difficult with the time changes and that... being in the day to day. So, we usually go to dinner to get to know each other, how is his life, how is mine, to catch up if it was one or two weeks that I left. In terms of physical health, how do you maintain yourself?

How do you fight against jet lag? How do you keep alert and in your top form when you're giving your body so much demand? We do a very large physical training, preseason, and during the season, it's more about staying, right? And it helps us a lot to be driving the car,

being very well hydrated is super important. Always, because with so much travel, the level of dehydration, then you get sick, all these things come, that in the year you get sick about 4 or 5 times, right? Of all the time changes, climate changes, pressures, you get sick. So it's always important not to fall too much every time you get sick.

What's in the thermos? What kind of electrolytes do you take?

We have some special pills that have very little sugar. And that's what we take depending on the trip. But if it's a long trip, sometimes we take up to three. And a lot of liquid. Speaking of sponsors, I think one of the things you've done more successfully in your career, besides being a great athlete, is this relationship with sponsors and much beyond Telmex and Telcel.

What makes you so attractive? How do you attract sponsors who are so loyal to you? Joly, I think that, first, I have been lucky that a large part of my sponsors have become family and close friends. And two, I think it's a... I have an image that represents the Mexico we want to see.

The Mexico that fights, the Mexico that doesn't give up, the Mexico with family values. I think that attracts brands. And two, that they know I'm a professional. Once, we've never had a problem with a brand. I think we've been with more than 100 brands.

And we've never had a problem, a demand, for lack of not having fulfilled the contract. I won't give you one more minute, but the minutes are fulfilled as they should be fulfilled. The image, everything we do is very professional. And I think that's something that is highly valued in the brands.

Something that also catches my attention that you have done is, you are these athletes who are very open and even proactive in making associations. You did Kavak, you did Shades, you did Proteína, many things. How do you think about the investments you make, and not precisely with your money, because you surely have a very professional and powerful financial strategy and advice. But in what you contribute to your brand, with which companies do you like to work?

That share the same values as me, that they see a lot for their country, for their people, and that they are companies that want to support our country. That for me, I am very patriotic, I love my country. My dad always taught us that part of loving our country with madness. And for me that's the main reason. I like people who are driven, who want to do it,

even if it's not the best project, or the biggest or the most attractive, but when I see someone who brings those desires, that reflects what I am, I don't care about the project, I don't care how big it is, I know he's going to be a good partner.

And you're not fighting to be part of the company, to be a partner and owner of the company?

No, I think there are two scenarios. In the end, it's always good to have a little bit of everything. And no, I'm not fighting. I'm not fighting. If it's someone I share the vision with, I have no problem associating myself. Do you feel an emotional weight of representing Mexico? No, not a weight, but I would say that it is a responsibility.

Yes, I am becoming more aware of what I represent for the people in our country. Well, for many people in our country who see me as an inspiration. Or maybe a sick child who sends him a video and changes his face, changes his day. As a pilot, as an athlete, you are not aware of that, right? You are focused on your job and you are not so aware of what people feel for you. So, on that side, I want to leave my legacy.

And I want that the day I leave, they know that they can achieve their dreams. That someone with the needs we had as a family, who came to such a difficult sport, fighting as a family, I think that's what I want to leave to the new generations, that they can achieve it.

And let's see, something important. Right now you say, yes, of course, you got to Formula 1, all the success you had. But if I hadn't gotten there, if I hadn't achieved it, I learned so much that I would have achieved so many other things. Why? Because I dared to fight. I kept in Germany when I had to have returned.

And I think that's the important thing, because for me success is not defined in the trophies, in what you get, but in fighting for your dreams. So, I think that while you fight for your dreams, in the end, there will be many falls like the ones I had. But while you give your all, you prepare yourself,

and don't just try to fulfill, because there are a lot of people who can fulfill you. But when you see someone who has a problem and comes to the simulator for five days and leaves their child in the hospital, you say, this one is different, this one has something different. So I think when you find that part,

or someone like that, you shouldn't let him go.

Hey Checo, let's see, your little son does the karts, he does it very well. Let's assume he has the talent you had. Would you support a career like that?

Or what sacrifice would you like him to not have to make? No, as a dad, sometimes I want to protect my son so he doesn't have to do anything in his life. I want everything to be happy, everything to be easy. But I'm aware that that's hurting your son the most. It's like...

Because in the end, I think that the happiness of the human being is in achieving your goals, fighting, giving your all, not letting things go, crying, that things cost you tears. That, for me, is happiness. So that's when you value things.

When you become aware of the world, when you become aware of the side of you that is not going the same way as you. So I would love to support them, whatever their dream is, I will support them. But he has to do it, and he has to fight for it, and he has to believe in it. And he knows it's hard. You say this has been your best year in Formula 1 and you didn't step on a circuit.

We miss you a lot in Mexico, and everyone mentioned it.

What have you done this year?

Damn, I had a blast. I traveled a lot, I went to Africa twice, I loved Africa, its culture, the tranquility, the landscapes, the animals. I really want to go back again, I want to go again soon, but well, I enjoyed my children a lot. I did a lot of trips with them, with friends. I was in a place for more than three weeks. Something I had never done in my life.

But I still had a lot to do. I wanted to take advantage of this year to make my family office much more organized. I wanted to dedicate myself much more to golf. I couldn't dedicate myself to golf. In the end, I ended up working much more than I thought. And when I realized I was already back, I already had commitments with the team. So it happened to me very quickly, but I also learned a lot about sport.

And the main thing we have to do in life is to enjoy what we do. Because we are so competitive and I think that also to achieve your things, you are always thinking about the races, you are thinking about your next contract, your next race, your next desire, and you are already thinking about the next race. Because that's how Formula 1 is, your next race, your next desire. You're already thinking about your next race. Because that's how Formula 1 is. And that's how your life goes.

You forget a little bit about the main thing, which is enjoying the trip. Do you think that's the way you're more different today than a year ago? Totally. I think I let myself go a lot. Well, I got into the world of Formula 1, of the competition, that everything was what follows, what follows, what follows. You have a bad race, prepare for the next one.

You have a victory. But that's the job, right? That's right. But you don't have to forget to enjoy it. Because I did forget many times to enjoy it. I had a good race and I was already thinking about the next one.

I think you have to give yourself the time to enjoy the moments. I was already thinking about the next one. I think you have to go slower. You have to try to go slower. You don't want to hear that from a Formula 1 driver, right?

Yes.

But it's true. The truth is that I have learned that. You have to go slower in life and enjoy the good and bad moments. Because bad moments also pass very quickly. I look back at my career and I say, I would have liked to enjoy it more. Thanks to Cadillac. What do you expect? I don't know if it's your last Stint.

Yes, without a doubt. It's my last Stint. I would love to retire with Cadillac, leaving it as a powerful team in Formula 1, one of the biggest teams. It's a big project, they are very big organizations that take a lot of time. From now on, everyone is in their place. It will take time, but I think we have all the ingredients for this team to be one of the biggest in Formula 1 in the next few years. What do you want to achieve on a personal level?

Enjoy it, come back, enjoy it a lot with my family, with my children. They have been a very important part of me coming back. I understand that your children wanted to see you back.

I don't know if that means they want you to leave the house for a year.

I think both. I think both. But Checo, especially my older son, he was very sad about the departure of Red Bull. So he wanted me to come back. So it was one of the main reasons. Come back, enjoy a lot with them,

let them see me run. That's one of my dreams. And to take Cadillac to become one of the most important teams is my goal. And I think that if I achieve that, I will be very happy with Formula 1. And at a sporting level, as a pilot, do you think that has changed something from your last season at Red Bull to who you are going to be in 2026? Yes, I think I'm a much more complete driver.

I learned a lot. I realized when I drove the Ferrari, I was surprised in three runs. I was already in the times. Because it's a much more natural car to drive. So I realized that it was the car and that I was going to be very competitive. And that I have not stopped being as good as I was.

So I'm sure as a pilot I'm going to be very good. But also in the way I'm going to push the team, I've learned a lot in the last few years.

Tell me a little bit about the work you do with the foundation.

Because I know it's something you dedicate a lot to. You've been with has put me on this path for a reason. So, for me it is very important to return. I would love to have more time and be able to devote more time to the Foundation. To be able to do more events, to be able to raise more funds. It is something that is a barrel without a bottom, what you do in the Foundation, the cause you dedicate yourself to.

So, being able to help, being able to do their events, their posadas, the children. We have many orphan children in the foundation. So, being able to do their posadas, their king days, those days that they enjoy, for me, it fills me a lot. How can someone help the foundation? We have our page, we have our Instagram and there you can help from being a collaborator or being donations.

Everything adds up, right? I don't know, soft drinks or water, whatever, everything adds up. Because I tell you, it's a barrel without a bottom. So, every person who can help, welcome. Checo, what are you afraid of today? Good question. I think...

Fear, no. I would say no. Maybe death, that's all. Outside of that, I'm not afraid of anything. In the end, I think everything can be fixed. Everything can be... Maybe a very big disease,

from my family, that life changes us, that it changes us quickly, because I'm aware of that. Life changes you very quickly. So, a disease,

I'm very afraid of that. And how do you imagine life after your retirement?

Supporting my children 100% in their dreams and pushing them to fight for them. Because I tell you, that for me is a very important part. I loved business life. I enjoy really enjoyed it. I love business. I think this year helped me a lot to know that when I leave I won't miss it. Obviously I will miss the races, the rush, but I found a part that I really like, which is business, and I'm going to focus on that. Is there a sector of business that catches your attention?

I love the stock market. I'm very into the stock market. I would tell you that's my day-to-day, but there are many sectors that... Are you trading actively? No, I don't trade, but I'm invested in the long term and I follow the market very closely. But I would also like to have something more in the industrial part. I'm also getting into many sectors.

To manufacture what? No, warehouses, industrial parks. But I know the idea that if you have a store, you have to go there. So for now, everything is on hold and the time will come. Because I love to dedicate myself to my things 100%.

I heard you say that you hated exercising. I was like, man, he doesn't like exercising.

But now you're... I thought it was hard for me because I saw it as part of my job. Since I was a kid, it's always been part of my job to do exercise. So, I would come home every morning and say, again, I have to see Joa, Xavi, Lucas, Yosami... Imagine seeing your coach every morning,

wanting to train. And I saw it as part of my job. Well, it's work, right? It's a job. And then, right now that I stopped, I went to the gym and I liked it. So I realized that I really liked being physically well, taking care of myself, taking care of my appearance,

being well trained, being able to exercise, having a very good condition. I really liked that. I realized this year that I do like to be able to exercise, to have a good condition. I really liked that, I realized this year that I do like to exercise. When I don't do it, people say, what a discipline. I'm not an athlete, but I stop exercising and my head plays against me.

I think it's very important in everyone's heads to take care of ourselves, take care of ourselves, in health, in the physical, and I think it's a very important part. Because before, I took care of him because I had to take care of him. I live for that. So, now that I realized that I did it because I liked it,

I realized that I like to eat healthy too. Hey, and literally, they weigh you and you're like, dude, you're fat. Yes, they weigh you at the beginning of the year. You have so many kilos and you can't change your weight all year. Because if they don't have to adjust it to you, and they have to adjust the car and put more weight on it,

then the balance changes a bit. So the pilots can't... You have to neither go down nor up. Keep your weight.

Did you gain weight this year?

Yes, but I think it's muscle.

Let's say that.

I hope it's muscle. But a little. I think I went up... Well, it's that as I started training for the test, I lowered everything. So, I brought a kilo. So, I think my maximum was like 4 kilos. But I also started doing a different training, I did a lot more weights. So it made me heavier.

What do you miss the most about being in the circuit?

The competition. Yes, the competition. The competition and the qualifying laps, going out to qualify. And the start of Formula 1.

When the race is about to qualify, and the start of Formula 1.

When the race was about to start, I did miss that part. And I realized that I missed it a lot because at first I was very blocked. I said, look, I'm not going to miss it that much. But I saw a race, I talked to everyone, everyone knew exactly what was happening. I talked to all my friends, the teams, the judges.

It wasn't a torture?

No, no, no, I enjoyed it. I mean, I didn't miss it, that I wanted to be there. But I realized that I still had a lot to give. When I saw, this pilot did this, I can do the best.

What do you think of how Norris won?

Well, I think he did a good season. When he had a little. When I didn't have a car that adapted to his style, it was hard for him. But he never gave up. He turned around when McLaren made the car his style. It was hard for Piazzi.

I think it's time to ask you what project excites you the most in the next 12 months. I'm going to ask you anyway. What excites you the most in the next 12 months? But I'm going to ask you anyway. What excites you the most about coming back? To enjoy this stage with my family, with my children. My children are already in a bigger stage. I want them to see me.

Because I've always tried to convey to them what is commitment, what is dedication, what is pressure, what is wanting something, what is winning a trophy and what it costs. So, being able to enjoy it with them. Do you plan to take them more?

Yes, I want to take them more. So, that's what I'm most excited about, enjoying it a lot more with my family. In the end, with my wife too. It was so much pressure in Red Bull that we forgot to enjoy it. And to close, Checo, if you could write a message in heaven for millions of people to see it, what would you say?

That we have to fight for our dreams. A lot. That it's worth it. And that we shouldn't forget that the most important thing is to be happy.

Or never give up.

And never give up. And never give up. And to stay away from drugs and social media.

Social media. You're not very active on social media.

Not very active, but I think they are something very bad for society. Especially for the new generations. There is not much competition. We all have a perfect life on social media. And I think that's not life. That's not life. And we are lucky that we had to go through the before and after.

But we do see it.

But now with our children, I see how difficult it is for them to dare to fail, to have an error, because everyone is ready to judge them. They have what you have as a Formula 1 driver, the world watching them, but in their own microcosm. Forget about social media, it's all fake. It doesn't exist, that's not real life.

That's very important. Well, Checo, thanks for the time. I really wanted to talk to you. For me as a fan, as an admirer, as a Mexican, you're a crack. Thank you for your time.

You do a great job for our country. I love your interviews and congratulations for what you do. It looks like you enjoy it a lot.

I enjoy it a lot. Sometimes we forget a little bit, but not so much. Thank you very much, Checo. Thanks for having us. Thank you very much, Checo. Thank you for having us. Thank you. Thank you very much for listening to this episode. And before I go, don't forget that if you want to receive a very short but valuable email, from me, every day, from Monday to Friday, you can register to receive Oso Trava Daily. Every day I will be sharing some news, some lesson, some tool that can help you improve your business, grow your company, be more productive and have a fuller life in general. So if you don't want to miss this information loaded with

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