64 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
the west – towards the Pacific coast.
He will remain there during the
Americas leg of the season,
and in the winter, but in the
summer months he commutes to
races from either Madrid or his
other home in Switzerland.
Pérez is about to turn 30 and
admits it’s a significant milestone
in his life. His second child was
born a little over a month ago, and
he recently signed acontract which
could arguably be the last and most
significant deal of his career.
In the summerit was revealedthe
Mexican had signeda new three-
year contract to staywith Racing
Point until the end of 2022.Itmakes
him the only driver currently racing
to commit to a teamthrough the
transitionto the new regulations
(in 2021)– althoughhis team-mate
Lance Stroll is alsolikely to remain
with the team sincehis fatheris one
of the owners.
At the end of hiscurren t deal,
Pérez will have raced with theSilverstone-based outfit for nine
seasons. It’s a relationship based
on mutual respect, and he has been
a key figure in the team, triggering
the administration process last year
that ultimately ended Vijay Mallya’s
ownership and enabled Lawrence
Stroll to take up the reins.
“I am happy about it because I
can see this team has big potential,”
says Sergio when quizzed about
committing to another three years
at the outfit. “I really believe in the
plans we have for the coming years.
I think this year – asexpe cted – has
been a bitof a transition. It’s only a
little over a year [ago] thatthe new
owners came in.
“It’s a massive opportunity for
me to growtogether for thefuture
and there is a big change in rules
coming up, so hopefully this team
can be in a place to maximisethat.”
After two successive years where
Racing Point (then as Force India)
finished fourth in the constructors’
standings (in 2016 and 2017)this year has been a struggle as the team has raced with a car built in the
financial window of last year’s administration. But as the new owners
have started to invest in both the infrastructure and the car, progress has
been obvious – particularly in the second half of theseason. In addition,
as revealedbyF1 Racingearlier
this year, Racing Point plans a new
$30 million state-of-the-art factory
following the purchase of land
around the team’s current facility.
Staffing levels at the organisation
are now over 400 (split across two
premises) and it hopes to increase
recruitment significantly within the
next two years.
“I’ve always said,if you cannot be
in a Ferrari ora Merc edes, Racing
Point is a fantastic placetobe,”
Perez adds. “I’ve been therea long
time and I’ve seen thewindtunnel
figuresfor next year and they look
very good. It’s looking like it will
be a very promising year,but we
have a couple of racesto go this
season. Weare fighting for very
important championship pointsin
the constructors’ [b attle] –so we
just have to give it our all.”“AT EVERY
CORNER,
WHEREVERI’M
ONTHETRACK,I
CANSEEPEOPLE
CHEERINGME
ONANDTHAT’S
SOMETHING
VERYSPECIAL”Whereverhegoesintherun-uptohishomerace,
Pérezisalwaysthecentreofattention64 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
the west – towards the Pacific coast.
He will remain there during the
Americas leg of the season,
and in the winter, but in the
summer months he commutes to
races from either Madrid or his
other home in Switzerland.
Pérez is about to turn 30 and
admits it’s a significant milestone
in his life. His second child was
born a little over a month ago, and
he recently signed acontract which
could arguably be the last and most
significant deal of his career.
In the summerit was revealedthe
Mexican had signeda new three-
year contract to staywith Racing
Point until the end of 2022.Itmakes
him the only driver currently racing
to commit to a teamthrough the
transitionto the new regulations
(in 2021)– althoughhis team-mate
Lance Stroll is alsolikely to remain
with the team sincehis fatheris one
of the owners.
At the end of hiscurren t deal,
Pérez will have raced with the
Silverstone-based outfit for nine
seasons. It’s a relationship based
on mutual respect, and he has been
a key figure in the team, triggering
the administration process last year
that ultimately ended Vijay Mallya’s
ownership and enabled Lawrence
Stroll to take up the reins.
“I am happy about it because I
can see this team has big potential,”
says Sergio when quizzed about
committing to another three years
at the outfit. “I really believe in the
plans we have for the coming years.
I think this year – asexpe cted – has
been a bitof a transition. It’s only a
little over a year [ago] thatthe new
owners came in.
“It’s a massive opportunity for
me to growtogether for thefuture
and there is a big change in rules
coming up, so hopefully this team
can be in a place to maximisethat.”
After two successive years where
Racing Point (then as Force India)
finished fourth in the constructors’
standings (in 2016 and 2017)this year has been a struggle as the team has raced with a car built in the
financial window of last year’s administration. But as the new owners
have started to invest in both the infrastructure and the car, progress has
been obvious – particularly in the second half of theseason. In addition,
as revealedbyF1 Racingearlier
this year, Racing Point plans a new
$30 million state-of-the-art factory
following the purchase of land
around the team’s current facility.
Staffing levels at the organisation
are now over 400 (split across two
premises) and it hopes to increase
recruitment significantly within the
next two years.
“I’ve always said,if you cannot be
in a Ferrari ora Merc edes, Racing
Point is a fantastic placetobe,”
Perez adds. “I’ve been therea long
time and I’ve seen thewindtunnel
figuresfor next year and they look
very good. It’s looking like it will
be a very promising year,but we
have a couple of racesto go this
season. Weare fighting for very
important championship pointsin
the constructors’ [b attle] –so we
just have to give it our all.”“AT EVERY
CORNER,
WHEREVERI’M
ONTHETRACK,I
CANSEEPEOPLE
CHEERINGME
ONANDTHAT’S
SOMETHING
VERYSPECIAL”Whereverhegoesintherun-uptohishomerace,
Pérezisalwaysthecentreofattention