Checo Perez’s father reignites political ambitions in Mexico. Antonio Perez Garibay, father of Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez, has reaffirmed his ambition to become President of Mexico.

Perez’s father is back in the spotlight

After a year away from headlines, Sergio Perez has returned to Formula 1, albeit in the challenging context of a debutant team such as Cadillac. Alongside the Mexican driver, attention has inevitably turned once again to his father, Antonio Perez Garibay, a loud and often controversial figure who has frequently compensated for the reserved and private nature of Checo’s personality. Now, he is back with renewed and significant political ambitions.

After previously supporting conspiracy theories suggesting that Max Verstappen had access to superior equipment compared to his son during their time as Red Bull teammates, Antonio Perez Garibay, now 66, has returned to the spotlight for reasons completely unrelated to Formula 1 or his son’s world championship ambitions.

In an interview with Mexican journalists, he openly admitted that his current goal is… the presidency of Mexico.

The presidential ambition

“You should never say never,” he explained, quoted by the local newspaper El Siglo de Torreon, “but this is my dream. My desire is to one day become the president of Mexico, just as my son dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver when he was a child. When I say I have this goal, people tell me I’m crazy. But I like being crazy—I like doing things that others don’t do or don’t even dare to try.”

Antonio Perez Garibay: political career and controversies

This is not the first time that “Papá Perez,” known as Toño, has pursued the presidency of his country. Already in 2022, the Mexican politician attempted to leverage the global fame of his son to promote his own campaign ahead of the 2024 elections.

However, he was unable to overcome internal competition within his own party, Morena, a left-wing populist movement that already held power under then-president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and continues to govern the country today under President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Currently serving as a government delegate in the federal state of Jalisco, where his hometown Guadalajara is located, and previously a member of the Mexican Congress, Perez Garibay has often made headlines for a range of controversial statements.

These include unusual claims about his son Checo’s ambitions, heated disputes with the sports media covering Formula 1, and even homophobic remarks directed at Ralf Schumacher.