By: Alberto Tello de Meneses – CEO Percepción Pública Latin America.
Senior Consultant on Strategic Communication, Verbal/Non-Verbal Image & Crisis Management.
September 13th, 2020.
First than being a Formula 1 team, Red Bull is a global energy drink brand, genuinely interested in an ambassador for its most important consumer markets: North America and Latin America entirely.
It has already been said -in a very wise way- that more energy drinks are consumed in Mexico & Latin America, than Aston-Martin cars. The arrival of ‘Checo’ to the team means a triple play for Red Bull, in this logical order:
- ‘Checo’ would be the top ambassador for Red Bull energy drink in its markets of greater consumption (yes, Latinos from all over the continent, including Latinos who live in North America, represent the market that generates the most profits for the brand; therefore, is highly probably that they’d want to “give wings” to ‘Checo’).
- Red Bull loses Aston-Martin as main co-sponsor, while ‘Checo’ carries a solid group of sponsors to replace it, in just one move.
- Previous points are enough, from a business perspective, to understand Red Bull’s interest in hiring ‘Checo’; but to that, we must add the consistency of the driver to score points and his competitiveness. Gasly’s temperament does not please Christian Horner (for those who don’t know, it is enough to read the verbal and non-verbal language of the team principal in the second season of Drive to Survive by Netflix, to anticipate that Pierre won’t return to the main team, at least for a while), and Albon’s results, who seemed to be walking better, fell dramatically, in addition to his constant public claims that haven’t gone down well within the team. In order for another Red Bull’s structure driver to reach the main team, he will first have to be trained in Alpha Tauri, and although many people underrate ‘Checo’, the historical relationship between his results vs the performance of his cars, categorically endorses him as “the best of the rest ”, throughout his ten-year career in Formula 1.
The first call with Christian Horner -to Checo’s pleasant surprise-, took place in late May, early June; after the rumor released by the German press of the arrival of Vettel to Aston-Martin. The week where Perez traveled to Mexico and turned out infected with COVID-19, Sergio would have met his sponsors to talk about the incipient interest of Red Bull Racing, given the displayed negotiations and controversial forms of Lawrence Stroll about Vettel.
However, it was until yesterday that the reporter of the Spanish channel Movistar F1 Noemí de Miguel cleared the rumors and promptly reported an approach of Horner with ‘Checo’, which reflects a delaying strategy of the Red Bull’s Team Principal towards the media.
If the official announcement with Red Bull has not yet been given, it is because they needed the Racing Point/Aston-Martin’s confirmation with Vettel, and from that, date the contracts in such a way that they do not legally affect Perez’s separation terms from RP.
“We’ll wait to see Albon’s performance during September” -in the words of Christian Horner-, we understand it as a “politics good manners”, but from now on, we can affirm and anticipate through the expert analysis of our consultants in strategic communication and public perception that, Sergio Pérez is going to be Max Verstappen’s partner, at least for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
And since this decision is based first on the commercial topic rather than on the sports performance, Red Bull is going to be very pleased that fans raise a global trend with their own slogan, using the hashtag: #checogivesyouwings, as part of the great media marketing that the Mexican driver will contribute the brand.
Update: September 14th, 2020
Szafnauer said that Vettel had never been in the plans and that there was nothing to confirm, because his two pilots had contracts; hours later, the news arrived.
Christian Horner confirmed interest, a possible seat and that he had talked to ‘Checo’; while making clear the decision not to return Gasly to the main team. The performance of a driver is not evaluated in a month or by one good result (Albon); and a contract, after the end of another (sponsors and driver) is not agreed or announced in just two days, because legal times.
There is a clear difference between Red Bull and Racing Point manners. In fact, it is highly probable that Alex Albon has already been noticed about the intention of keeping him in the Red Bull structure to consolidate, with Alpha Tauri, a project of two highly competitive teams. The reading between the lines is very clear for us, and although there’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, the arrival of ‘Checo’ to Red Bull Racing for a commercial interest -but also sports- seems imminent.
#perpepcionpublica
* Alberto Tello de Meneses advises Latin American personalities, from presidents of some countries, to Oscar and Grammy award winners; public figures in general; enthusiastic entrepreneurs and human beings who will soon be widely recognized.