UNITED KINGDOM: Mexican driver Sergio Perez joins the Force India Formula team for 2014

Record ID: 567049

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Mexican driver Sergio Perez joins the Force India Formula team for 2014
  • Date: 12th December 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 12, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR MEXICO EMBASSY BUILDING MEXICO FLAG OUTSIDE EMBASSY BUILDING FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ AND TEAM CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA SHAKING HANDS VIEW HANDSHAKE SERGIO PEREZ VIJAY MALLYA SMILING IN HANDSHAKE SERGIO PEREZ IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ SAYING: "I think so. I think after I left McLaren my first choice clearly my best my best choice was to come to Force India, because of the whole package, you know. A very hungry team, very honest people and a great team mate which is Nico Hulkenberg. So everything has really inspired me to come and that is why I am here and I want to thank Vijay Mallya for the opportunity that he gave me." PEREZ IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ, ASKED IF HE AND HULKENBERG IS A PERFECT COMBINATION, SAYING: "Yes, definitely. I think we are we are, without doubt, one of the strongest driver line-ups in the grid and I think together with Nico we can move the team forward. Hopefully we can have a strong car in the early races as where other teams could have some troubles, so yeah, really looking forward." PEREZ IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ SAYING: "I was really having hiccups to have a race there but unfortunately it didn't happen. But I am very optimistic that 2015 will be the day." PEREZ BEING FILMED (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ SAYING: "Yes for sure there will be sponsors coming out. There is a lot of interest in Mexico so there is going to be good sponsors, good brands coming on board with my project." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ, SEATED ALONGSIDE FORCE INDIA CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA, MAKING SPEECH, SAYING: "I am very excited to work with Vijay and the rest of the team, we all share this passion." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA NEW DRIVER SERGIO PEREZ SAYING: "Yes, it is a special number. Since I was a kid I wear the 11, so it would be nice if I can get that one and I kind of identify myself with that number and it would be good if I can get that one." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA MAKING SPEECH, SAYING; "And when the opportunity became available, Sergio was certainly a very, very serious option for us." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA SAYING: "We dedicated a lot of resources to develop the 2014 car and we felt that we needed the most hungry and yet the most talented on the grid, to explore that on the track." MALLAY BEING INTERVIEW BY MEXICAN TV REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA SAYING: "You know, we are certainly going to go out and target potential sponsors in that part of the world now that we have signed Sergio Perez. So let's see what happens, it is a bit early to presume that there will Mexican brands on the car already." MALLAY IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORCE INDIA CO-OWNER VIJAY MALLYA SAYING: "For my perspective, a brilliant move and I hope it is truly implemented. This was decided upon three years ago under the auspices of FOTA (Formula One Teams Association). Everybody agreed and then chose to disagree so it never happened. I think it is essential for Formula One for the future sustainability of Formula One and that there will be a budget cap from 2015 onwards. Great news." PEREZ POSING WITH FORCE INDIA SHIRT
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6RO53R4LV2J28ETMR2GP1076
  • Story Text: Mexican Sergio Perez hopes to forge a winning partnership with Germany's Nico Hulkenberg after agreeing a multi-year deal to race for the Force India Formula One team.
    Presented by principal and team co-owner Vijay Mallya at the Mexican ambassador's central London residence on Thursday (December 12), the 23-year-old driver said he was hungry for success after a lean year at McLaren.
    "After I left McLaren, clearly my best choice was to come to Force India, because of the whole package," he told Reuters. "A very hungry team, very honest people and a great team mate...everything has really inspired me.
    "I think we are, without doubt, one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid and together with Nico we can move the team forward."
    The completion of Force India's 2014 line-up left Britain's Paul di Resta and Germany's Adrian Sutil seeking new employers with only Sauber, Caterham and Marussia still having seats available.
    Sutil could move to Sauber while Di Resta's best bet could be the IndyCar series in America, where his cousin Dario Franchitti has just retired after winning the Indy 500 three times, or a return to the German touring car championship (DTM).
    Perez joins after he was replaced at under-performing McLaren by Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen, 21, which left him scrambling to find a place.
    The smiling 23 year-old Mexican was hoping for a Grand Prix in his home country next season but is happy to wait another year to race in front of his own fans.
    "I was really having hiccups to have a race there but unfortunately it didn't happen. But I am very optimistic that 2015 will be the day," Perez said.
    Perez's move was eased by strong financial backing from Mexican sponsors, which one informed source put at 15 million euros ($20.63 million) a year but the driver was cautious to get into details about the financial deal behind his decision to go to Force India.
    "Yes for sure there will be sponsors coming out. There is a lot of interest in Mexico so there is going to be good sponsors, good brands coming on board with my project," said the driver who told his new boss Indian businessman Vijay Mallya about his excitement to join his new team.
    Perez's McLaren car had the the number six in 2013 but he hopes that in 2014 he can switch to 11 - - the same number as his final position in the drivers' standings.
    "Yes, it is a special number. Since I was a kid I wear the 11, so it would be nice if I can get that one and I kind of identify myself with that number and it would be good if I can get that one."
    The Force India team is co-owned by Indian business conglomerate Sahara Group and drinks tycoon Vijay Mallya who sees Perez's arrival as the first for bigger ambitions next season.
    "We dedicated a lot of resources to develop the 2014 car and we felt that we needed the most hungry and yet the most talented on the grid, to explore that on the track," Force India co-owner said.
    Perez said Mexican telephone company Telmex, who have backed him throughout his career, would follow him along with other Mexican sponsors and Mallya added they are searching for new backers.
    "You know, we are certainly going to go out and target potential sponsors in that part of the world now that we have signed Sergio Perez," he cautiously said. "So let's see what happens, it is a bit early to presume that there will Mexican brands on the car already," said the 57 year-old said who welcomed the prospect of a 'budget cap' from 2015.
    McLaren failed to finish on the podium this year, their worst season since 1980, but Perez had impressed before that with Sauber where he also enjoyed the status of being part of Ferrari's young driver academy.
    Mercedes-powered Force India finished sixth overall in the constructors' standings this year and have yet to win a race, with Giancarlo Fisichella's pole and second place in Belgium in 2009 their best result to date.
    ($1 = 0.7271 euros)
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