While not as dramatic as a change in the driver lineup of one of the upper-echelon teams such as Red Bull or Ferrari, Sahara Force India has certainly made a splash by signing ex-McLaren driver Sergio Perez (pictured above with Team Principal Dr. Vijay Mallya) to multi-year contract. In fact, a reasonable case could be made that this is the sort of stepping-stone move Perez should have made last off-season, instead of electing to follow Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. Easy for us to say, of course, but the young Mexican struggled to fill the enormous expectations that come with driving for one of Formula One's most iconic teams. Perez was unable to recapture any of the magic he experienced with Sauber in 2012, and failed to notch even one podium finish and posted just one top-five result en route to a 11th place finish in the drivers' standings (49 points). Much will have to go right for Perez to land on the podium three times with Sahara Force India like he did with Sauber in 2012, but it would not be surprising to see him overachieve in a relatively low-pressure environment driving for a team with modest expectations. He'll likely be motivated to prove to the doubters that his talent is real, and what better way to achieve that than by punching above his weight with a smaller team? Perez will definitely be one to watch in 2014. For more, see the offical team release posted below.
Sahara Force India is delighted to announce the signing of Sergio Perez as race driver for the team in 2014 and beyond.
The 23-year-old Mexican completes Sahara Force India’s 2014 line-up alongside Nico Hulkenberg and helps create one of the most exciting pairings on the grid.
“It’s great to announce my new team as Sahara Force India. 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. This is a young team with a lot of determination and they’ve produced competitive cars for the last few years. 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,” Perez said.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Sergio to the team. 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 recognise Sergio’s incredible talent and we are proud to have him in our team. 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 realise 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,” said Dr. Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director.
Photo courtesy Sahara Force India Formula One Team
