Sergio Perez has signed a new contract with Racing Point which will keep him at the team for the next three seasons.
“I’m very excited to extend my partnership with the team for the next three years,” said Perez. “I’ve been working together with this group of people for a long time now and they have become my second family. Together we have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success and we share the same passion for racing.“I have been impressed with the direction the team has taken over the last twelve months and that gives me confidence for the future. I believe the best times are still to come and I look forward to celebrating plenty of podiums in the years ahead.”
Perez joined the team, previously known as Force India, in 2014. His new deal will keep him at Racing Point until at least 2022. RaceFans understands it is a straight three-year contract with no ‘options’.
His new deal mirrors the three-year contract extension which Mexico’s round of the world championship secured earlier this year. The race will be officially renamed the Mexico City Grand Prix from 2020.
Racing Point CEO and team principal Otmar Szafnauer said Perez has become “a very complete driver with excellent qualifying speed and exceptional race craft” in the six years since he joined the team.
“Sergio believes in the long-term vision of this project and getting his commitment until the end of 2022 gives us valuable consistency going forward. As the team continues to grow and develop it’s important to have a driver with Sergio’s level of experience, especially with new regulations on the horizon.”
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Dee (@bulsie)
30th August 2019, 17:15
Great for him. I guess he knows none of the main teams will come knocking at his door anymore and staying at RP is not too bad, especially if they can improve.
Perez has become synonymous with RP/FI and it is good to see the team happy to partner with him over the period of changes which shows the trust both have in each other.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
30th August 2019, 18:56
it really is his best option: Checo is not top 3 teams material but is good enough for the odd podium when the planets align. And RP should get very close to McLaren next year or whoever will be in the fight for best-of-the-rest, given their new resources. Also, having a teammate that is not really bothering him (Germany fluke aside) is the icing on the cake for Perez.
This is not only a great deal for Perez, but also a good one for RP: he brings money to the team with his Mexican connections and is also very experienced to develop the car all by himself (I doubt Lance’s input is valuable at this point).
Only Facts!
30th August 2019, 17:17
That means Racing Point (better known as Stroll’s own team) is commiting to staying under the new rules until 2022?
If so, It would be the first team to do so.
When Will others follow? If October is the deadline to new rules agreement, some other signs of who’s staying and who’s going should surface soon.
DAllein (@)
30th August 2019, 17:22
Pure racing teams can’t NOT stay.
Big Manufacturers or drink-producers can leave, because F1 is only a marketing tool for them.
jamesluke2488
30th August 2019, 17:26
Racing Manufacturers are the lifeblood of the sport, in fact both Ferrari and Mclaren both started as race teams. So no we can keep manufacturers. Equally red bull are putting in millions of £s to the sport keeping the grid healthy so they can stay as well.
Islander
30th August 2019, 17:22
…. even though Hulk is available, and cheap.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
30th August 2019, 17:28
That might be reason why ;)
TFLB (@tflb)
30th August 2019, 18:04
Do you remember when Hulkenberg and Perez were teammates and Perez was better? Obviously you don’t.
Xcm
30th August 2019, 20:14
Hulk seems like a great guy and all… but he isn’t that good of a driver, no matter how many times people bring up the “what about Hulkenberg?!?” “WHAT OF him?”
Applebook
31st August 2019, 0:29
Unfortunately, I agree.
Hulk is a solid, above average driver, but he’s clearly not special. Ocon’s appointment at Renault isn’t just about nationality. Ocon has been far higher ranked than Hulk ever was. Although Ocon had struggles in the race last year, he was comfortably faster than Perez in qualifying. The same cannot be said about Hulk when he was Perez’s teammate.
Plus Ocon is still very young. Hulk might be out of F1 now.
anon
30th August 2019, 21:27
Islander, Perez has been at the team since 2014, meaning that he has built up a significant relationship with the people within the team and helped to support them over the years – why wouldn’t they want Perez to stay?
Equally, Perez has had a competitive career with them, and it wasn’t as if Hulkenberg was massively superior to Perez. In the course of their time together, Perez generally ended up outscoring Hulkenberg – some even suggested that part of the reason why Hulkenberg left Force India was to avoid the comparison with Perez, as there was a risk that losing to Perez too often was going to start damaging his reputation.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th August 2019, 18:05
What if RacingPoint isn’t in F1 anymore from 2021 onwards?
faulty (@faulty)
30th August 2019, 18:29
Breach of contract compensation?
Robbie (@robbie)
30th August 2019, 20:56
Isn’t this a pretty strong indication they will be? And why wouldn’t they be? This is likely a dream for Lawrence Stroll and group, so onward and upward. They’ll be stoked to put together a better car for next year having not started it on their hind foot like last year, and then on to the new gen and a reset.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
31st August 2019, 7:11
why wouldn’t they be in it for the long run? Lawrence Stroll doesn’t seem to be a guy that is in it for the short term profit. Plus, the kid needs a career in F1 to make the family happy, where else could he go to better than his own team?
Balue (@balue)
30th August 2019, 19:33
What a waste of talent
thepostalserviceisbroke (@thepostalserviceisbroke)
30th August 2019, 20:09
#pesotalks
Luke S (@joeypropane)
30th August 2019, 20:35
2014-2022?! That’s gotta be the longest stint any driver has done at a team since… Massa at Ferrari??
anon
30th August 2019, 21:43
@joeypropane, assuming that Perez does serve out the full length of his contract, at nine seasons (2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22), it would be even longer than the eight seasons that Massa had at Ferrari.
You would have to go back to David Coulthard to find a driver who stayed for nine seasons at a single team, as he was at McLaren from the 1996 to 2004 seasons inclusive. Perez and Coulthard would then have the joint second longest continuous stint at a single team for a driver – only Schumacher has stayed at a team for longer, with eleven seasons at Ferrari.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
30th August 2019, 21:29
This is great news for Sergio! Now for the other seat …
pSynrg (@psynrg)
30th August 2019, 23:31
Wake me up in 2022 please. Z Z Z z z z . . .
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
31st August 2019, 11:21
Wake up! Wake up! It’s 2022 … Brexit has been an absolute disaster! The British Pound crashed, the Queen’s had to resign and Boris has become President Johnson. The “No Deal Brexit” was so chaotic all the teams have moved to France. Liberty Media now have 25 races on the calendar, with a Qualifying Final Practice, a Qualifying race and a Race race. Ferrari have just announced Sebastian’s retirement.
phil
31st August 2019, 9:47
He must be really happy with his three year extension. It’s a walk in the park for him against his racing partner Lance which Checo knows won’t change. Three more years of beating his team mate!