Sergio Perez will be racing for a mid-field team again after Force
India named him as its driver for the 2014 season and beyond,
overlooking retaining both Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil.
Having being released by McLaren after a solitary and disappointing
campaign, the Mexican signed a multi-year deal with Force India
completing the team’s line up with Nico Hulkenberg, who was announced earlier this month.
Perez was 11th in the drivers' standings this year to finish one position behind Hulkenberg, who was driving for Sauber.
"Coming here was always my first choice," Perez said. "This is a
young team with a lot of determination and they’ve produced competitive
cars for the last few years."
Force India did not provide financial terms of the deal or the
contract length, saying only Perez had signed for "2014 and beyond."
Force India team principal Vijay Mallya claimed that he was “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," he added.
BOTH 2013 FORCE INDIA DRIVERS MAY END UP AT SAUBER
The decision means that Force India will be fielding a fully new
line-up from its 2013 campaign. Adrian Sutil is expected to join Sauber
while Paul di Resta could be left without a seat forcing the Scot to
return to the DTM series, where he was crowned champion in 2010, or even
to the IndyCar Series.
Di Resta had admitted earlier that he was in talks with Sauber for a
potential drive but hinted that his Formula 1 career may be over.
"The only team that really has any possibility is Sauber,” he said.
“There has been nothing other than a chat with my manager. I am also
speaking to Mercedes for DTM."
