SERGIO PEREZ ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
At 28, he’s no longer one of the bright young things, but this Mexican racer, on a mission to give his “absolute best”, insists there’s much more to come – from him and the team he describes as his “family”
Look at Sergio Pérez and see everything currently wrong with F1. This is not, we hasten to add, a slight on Pérez; he is, as he says further on, a driver who makes the most of the tools at his disposal – but now, at 28 and in the prime of his career, those tools are a little blunt. In an earlier incarnation of F1, there would be a seat in a race-winning team for a driver of his prowess; today, there isn’t.
The first Mexican in F1 since Héctor Rebaque has scored eight podiums but never raced for a team that finished higher than fourth in the constructors’ standings. His shot at the big time came in the year Mclaren fell off the perch. Now, despite being one of F1’s safest pairs of hands, Pérez isn’t a name being discussed in breathless terms – that’s the younger generation of Leclerc, Gasly and Ocon.
As he settles in to answer your questions, it’s this particular topic that draws a wry grin. “You never know in this business,” he says with a glint in the eye. “Things change fast.”
That they very much do – Force India competed in Hungary while operating in administration, and the new owners have had to start again with a new name and from zero points. That coveted fourth place in the championship seems a long way away now…
You’ve been close to a win on a few occasions. At which race did you feel you had the best chance of victory? Kieran Vince-clark, UK
Sergio Pérez: I think Malaysia 2012… or Montréal 2014 where I had the late issue with the brakes. That was close. I was second behind Rosberg when he had trouble. Those two were the closest.
F1 Racing: What did you make of Peter Sauber’s “Checo, be careful, we need this position,” message in Malaysia? We’ve been debating it for years…
SP: Definitely that radio call took it out of me a bit. I received it just before I got to the corner; it was quite damp and the conditions were very difficult. It wasn’t the best message I could have got at that time, to be honest.
“LATE IN THE SEASON MCLAREN TOLD ME THAT WAS IT. THEY DIDN’T SHOW ME ANY LOYALTY
What was your first thought when you heard your team would race in pink livery? Piotr Atwik, Poland
SP: Good one! I got the call from Otmar [Szafnauer – then Force India’s COO] and he told me
I had to paint my helmet pink. I was having a massage, so I was a bit drowsy. An hour later I called back and asked: “Was that serious?” Now, it’s completely normal: we have become the pink team. It’s good!
What’s your favourite circuit on the current calendar, and which circuit or country would you like added to the calendar in the future? Lindsay Mccallum, UK
SP: Definitely Miami. I would love to race in Miami. And on the current calendar… I really like Baku. It has always given good racing. It’s a nice circuit to drive and a great city as well.
F1R: You scored two of your eight podiums there. Why are you so good there?
SP: It’s a circuit that offers opportunities to everyone. We’ve been good at taking those opportunities.
F1R: There’s not a lot of grip and quite a few corners that favour the last of the late brakers. Is it scary in places?
SP: It suits me! It is a little scary – but I enjoy being on the limit. If you make a mistake, you crash in the wall.
With hindsight, was being dropped by Mclaren a blessing in disguise? Anna Hunt, UK
SP: When you see the trouble they’re having now, probably. Yeah. It was the best thing.
F1R: Hindsight is a wonderful thing – but it must have been quite tough for you for a few months afterwards.
SP: It was very hard. They always said that things would change. It took me a while to adapt, but by the end of the year I was beating Button. Late in the season they told me that was it. I was young, I’d had opportunities with other top teams. Yeah… they didn’t show me any loyalty.
Are you satisfied with what you’ve achieved so far in Formula 1? Szymon Tomala, Poland
SP: Hmm… I’m not satisfied.
It’s not like I’ve been a world champion or winning races – but I also feel that I’ve had a great career so far with the tools that I’ve had. I’ve never had a car capable of podiums – and I have eight podiums to my name. I’ve seen many drivers come into F1 and leave the next year, so to be here at this point, to be working with the best engineers in the world, to be delivering at the highest level, it’s definitely something I feel privileged to be able to do. I know how hard it is to get into F1 – but staying here? That’s harder. But I can’t complain about what I’ve achieved so far.
Do you believe you could be a world champion if you had a seat at Ferrari or Mercedes? Clair Henderson, Canada
SP: Yes.
With young drivers like Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon around, do you think you’ve missed the boat when it comes to a Ferrari or Mercedes drive? Kunal Shah, India
SP: You never know in this business. Experience always counts. I won’t give up until the journey is over.
Where do you hold the advantage over your team-mate, Esteban Ocon? Where does he hold the advantage? Craig Harper, South Africa
SP: I’m good to deliver the result on Sunday, and to come out of a difficult position. I’m good at that. I think the advantage he holds… the car is probably adapted more to his driving style at the moment. I’m struggling to get the maximum out of it in qualifying.
Would you have won in Baku last year if you hadn’t crashed with your team-mate? Jonathan Simon, Australia
SP: There was certainly a massive opportunity… but we’ll never know.
Do you and Esteban get along? You seem not to want to let each other past on the track, even when instructed to… Przemek Iwaniec, Canada
SP: Hmm… I think we’re both very professional and we always accept the team orders and we work for the benefit of the team.
F1R: But you’re not best buds. Do team-mates need a bit of juice in the relationship? Is it good for the team when there’ve got a strong pairing who are butting heads?
SP: Oh, it’s always good to have a strong team-mate who pushes you and you push him. It’s absolutely the best way to develop a car, and to get the best result out of a race weekend.
Who was your toughest team-mate – and why? Chris Walker, UK
SP: Nico Hülkenberg was the strongest. In terms of consistency and delivery, he was complete. He was good at putting together a whole weekend, to maximise the potential in the car.
F1R: There wasn’t much to separate you in the standings. Are you happy when things are so tight – or worried?
SP: If I didn’t get a perfect weekend, then he’d be there. Always. Extracting the maximum. Even if qualifying was poor, or he had a poor first lap, he’d recover and be right there. We live on results: it doesn’t matter if you do a tremendous lap in practice or qualifying if you don’t maximise the points. It’s important to maximise the result and he was good at it. But I managed to beat him!
You’ve been very loyal to your team. Do you feel your goals can be reached with them? Robert Wood, USA
SP: I think we’ve developed a very strong relationship since I came here. When I look back, every year or every couple of years I’ve been offered seats in other teams, and in the end, I’ve always decided to stay here. I feel I’m a part of the family. We’ve come a long way together, and now with the new ownership the team has a much more stable future for the coming years. I feel I haven’t achieved all my targets with this team yet. I feel there is more potential in the team and I’m enjoying working with the people, everyone is very motivated even though the past months have been difficult. I have good friends in the team, so it really feels like home. I haven’t experienced this in any other team.
Are you still as passionate about Formula 1 today as you were when you made your debut? Yusuf Faqihi, Bahrain
SP: Definitely. If I wasn’t passionate about the sport, I wouldn’t be here. F1 gives you a lot, but it takes a lot out of you. I’ve been living this life since
I was six. If I didn’t enjoy it, it wouldn’t be worth it. But I love it.
F1R: When do you get the buzz?
SP: When I have a great result. I want to experience it every weekend. The competitiveness is a way of life. You wake up every day with a purpose. I can’t imagine not having that motivation. I’m driven by it. I need it.
Force India had been held back by lack of money this season. Is that going to change with the new owners? Pauline White, UK
SP: I think so. We’re seeing it’s now possible to do the upgrades that were planned, there’s a different structure, and there’s a lot of positivity and enthusiasm at the factory. That will translate into track performance.
I’VE BEEN OFFERED SEATS IN OTHER TEAMS AND I’VE ALWAYS DECIDED TO STAY HERE AT THIS TEAM. P“I FEEL A ART OF THE FAMILY
How do you keep yourself motivated when you know the only chance of success is when there are incidents with the big three teams? Tony Flower, UK
SP: By delivering the best I can deliver. We’re working at the very highest level in motorsport. There’s a level of perfection you can reach in F1 – I think it would surprise people. Even when you qualify P10, that might be a great lap. It might be as close to perfection as is possible – and that’s what you’re searching for: your absolute best. I love winning, but I know a weekend where I give my absolute best will provide the motivation. I don’t have to finish on the podium to be happy with my performance.
You’re always known as a guy who is kind on his tyres. Where has this particular skill come from – or is it just your natural driving style? Cian Mcleod, Ireland
SP: It’s from karting. My dad had no money for new tyres, so we did old-tyre racing: you had to be as quick as the guy on the new tyre. In F1, it’s not just saving tyres: if you’re slow, you’ll save the tyre more than the other guy. The key is: drive fast and still save the tyre.
If you could swap hair with any other driver on the current grid, who would it be? Paddy Bates, UK
SP: Hmm. I haven’t seen everyone’s hair – we wear a lot of caps and helmets. It wouldn’t be Valtteri Bottas’s hair because he doesn’t have much!
Now that you have a child, is retirement on your mind, or are you still pushing as hard as ever? Claudio Petrobelli, Canada
SP: I’m pushing as hard as ever. When I’m on the race track, I’m not thinking ‘I’m a father’. I just want the very best for me, for my future. And I want my kid to see me racing at a good level. I think it’s a motivation.