Fernandez reaffirms, Perez not a pay driver
“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.