After months of speculation, Racing Point have announced the departure of Sergio Perez from the team at the end of this season.
Despite having signed a two-year contract last year, Racing Point have taken the decision to terminate the Mexican's contract, and will therefore depart a year before expected.
Sergio Perez has been a part of the team for seven years, having started with Force India in 2014, and was a key figure in securing the future of the team in 2019. After running into financial troubles after the collapse of Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher airlines, Perez personally placed the team in a state of administration - a decision which saved the Silverstone based outfit. Perez noted this in his farewell statement he released on social media:
"It hurts a bit as I bet on the team during very rough times; we managed to overcome obstacles and I am very proud of saving the jobs of several of my teammates."
However, the 30-year-old leaves the team having secured many memorable feats, including five podium finishes - most of those defying the odds. Perez wrote:
"I'll keep the memories of the great moments lived together, the friendships and the satisfaction of always giving my all."
Image: F1.com
Otmar Szafnauer, Racing Point's CEO and Team Principle released a statement noting Sergio Perez's, more commonly known as Checo, ability to secure those seemingly out of reach podiums:
"Checo has been part of the Silverstone family for seven years and in that time has become one of the most complete drivers on the grid. Blisteringly quick on a Saturday and Sunday, he's established his reputation as a tenacious racer and together we have enjoyed some fantastic moments. If there was ever a sniff of a podium, Checo was ready to pounce, and those five podiums represent some of the finest days in the history of the team."
The Team Principle continued to praise Sergio's mentality and persona:
"Outside of the car, Checo is a true character and a good friend, and it's been a pleasure working with him for such a long time. Although we will say goodbye at the end of the year, there are still nine races to go and plenty of opportunities for Checo to make some more special memories with the team."
Sergio Perez is arguably a veteran of the sport having started in 2011 and competing in nine seasons. He has become notorious for the nursing of his tyres and closing the gap to the usual dominant top three teams. As a result, his future within the sport is very likely, with vacant spaces at Red Bull, Alpha Tauri and both Haas and Alfa Romeo, yet the latter two are his most probable options. Especially considering Red Bull have not recruited outside their young driver program since their birth in 2004, with David Coulthard and Mark Webber.
Although Perez' future within Formula One is not yet certain or decided, his reputation within the sport is most definitely favourable. The Mexican stated that he would 'rather retire than take a sabbatical (from F1)', in which case, without a drive confirmed by the end of the season, we may never see Perez return to the grid.
Yet, this does not seem a likely outcome as Sergio Perez is only 30 years old, with nine years experience and vast amounts of talent. He himself even admitted to already having been contacted by numerous teams up and down the grid... And this is just one day after announcing his departure.
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