In this file picture taken on September 9, 2012 McLaren-Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (right) congratulates Sauber’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez (left) on the podium at the Autodromo Nazionale Circuit in Monza after the Italian Formula One Grand Prix.
LONDON: Mexican Sergio Perez will have every chance of winning races and fighting for the Formula One title when he replaces Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next season, the team said yesterday.
Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, is moving to Mercedes on a three-year deal in place of 43-year-old Michael Schumacher.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh assured reporters, in a conference call after the announcements, that Perez would have equal treatment to his new team-mate and 2009 champion Jenson Button.
“I believe that Sergio will be competing to win in Australia (at the season-opener) next year and I think he is capable of doing that,” said Whitmarsh.
“With regards to number one status in the team, it is not how we work in our team and we will be in Australia next year with Sergio and Jenson competing for a win.”
Perez, 22, has been one of the revelations of the season with three podium finishes in 14 races for his Swiss-based Sauber team.
He had been mentioned before Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix as a possible replacement for Hamilton but Whitmarsh said the deal was signed only in the last two days, after Hamilton made his decision.
“Our view was that Sergio is very intelligent, he is a very humble and pleasant individual. But he has clearly got the hunger,” said Whitmarsh.
“There was no fear as he has overtaken people like Fernando Alonso this year. He has got good race craft. When you speak to him you realise he is very young but that is exciting...we undoubtedly believe we can develop him into a world champion in fairly short order.”
McLaren have form over the years in bringing in young talent and turning them into winners, notably Hamilton in 2007 and Kimi Raikkonen in 2002.
Whitmarsh said Button was looking forward to measuring himself against Perez as a team- mate. “I rang Jenson yesterday. He’s in Japan. I informed him. He will miss the competition against Lewis which he enjoys but he was very excited about Sergio,” he said.
“Bear in mind that he has an involvement in management of some drivers. He believes McLaren had made the right decision with the selection of Sergio and is looking forward to working with him.”
Perez, who is currently a member of Ferrari’s young driver academy, might have expected to move to the Italian team but said he was honoured to be joining McLaren.
“For more than 40 years McLaren has been a team that every racing driver has aspired to drive for - I was brought up on the great stories of Ayrton Senna’s many world championship triumphs for McLaren - and I’m truly honoured that they’ve chosen me to partner Jenson from 2013 onwards,” the Formula One driver said yesterday.
REUTERS
