Sergio Perez arrived late on Formula One’s driver market for 2014, but the Mexican played his way into a seat anyway after strong performances in the final two races when he knew he was a free agent.
Perez shifts from McLaren to Force India for 2014, where he will team alongside Nico Hulkenberg. It’s a multi-year deal for Perez, who will have the chance to prove himself alongside one of F1’s most highly regarded drivers who hasn’t yet had a chance at one of the proverbial “top teams.”
“It’s great to announce my new team as Sahara Force India,” Perez said. “Coming here was always my first choice and I’m really happy everything has now been confirmed. I want to say thank you to Vijay and the whole team for giving me the opportunity.”
Perez gave the usual platitudes about hoping to lift the team into the top tier of the field.
“This is a young team with a lot of determination and they’ve produced competitive cars for the last few years,” he said. “It’s all change for next season with the new regulations, but I already have a good feeling about 2014. My plan now is to visit the factory and get to know everyone in the team.”
Team principal Vijay Mallya feels his squad has two top-flight stars who could potentially lift Force India into the top five in the Constructor’s Championship.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Sergio to the team,” Mallya said. “He brings a healthy mix of youth and experience, and I’ve been very impressed with his recent performances. He already has several podium finishes to his name and being chosen by McLaren last year was a clear indication that he is a driver to watch for the future.
“We also recognize Sergio’s incredible talent and we are proud to have him in our team,” he added. “He clearly has great speed and plenty of fire in his belly. Our job is to make sure he settles in quickly by creating the right atmosphere so that he can realize his potential. By pairing Sergio alongside Nico, we enter the new season with an extremely competitive line-up, which will go toward helping us achieve our goals for the new season.”
Perez starred on numerous occasions in the midfield in his two years with Sauber, which helped to earn his promotion to McLaren this past year. But after a single season, he was dropped for rookie Kevin Magnussen, who is part of McLaren’s young driver program.
The move, of course, officially confirms both of Force India’s 2013 drivers are out. Adrian Sutil, a Force India veteran over six seasons (2007-’11, ’13) dating back to the team’s stint as Spyker, enters the free agent market as does Scotsman Paul di Resta after three years with Force India. Sutil has been linked to Sauber, where incidentally, he’d replace Hulkenberg. Di Resta, meanwhile, appears less likely to stay in F1 after three years with some very high peaks but unfortunately too many valleys.
Force India, interestingly, has now changed its driver lineup for a fifth straight season. The di Resta/Sutil partnership was in effect in 2013 and 2011, with di Resta and Hulkenberg in 2012, Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2010 and Sutil, Liuzzi and Giancarlo Fisichella in 2009. The last time the team carried the same lineup into back-to-back years was when Fisichella and Sutil entered 2009 as teammates after the team’s first year in that guise, in 2008.