Perez joins McLaren – Official

The McLaren Formula One team have announced that Mexican driver Sergio Perez will join them in 2013 on a multi-year-contract.

The young Mexican will leave Sauber, a team which he has been driving for the past two seasons for McLaren at the end of the season.

The 22-year-old has impressed everyone throughout Formula One during the past year, everyone with the exception of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who stated that he lacked the experience to drive for Ferrari in 2013.

Despite the fact that Perez has been part of the young driver programme with Ferrari, the Italian team have now lost one of Formula One’s biggest future stars, with Perez signing a multi-year deal with McLaren.

?I?m thrilled and delighted to have become a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, The McLaren name is one of the greatest in the history of Formula One. For more than 40 years McLaren has been a team that every racing driver has aspired to drive for – I was brought up on the great stories of Ayrton Senna’s many world championship triumphs for McLaren – and I’m truly honoured that they’ve chosen me to partner Jenson [Button] from 2013. Perez told formula1.com.

?I’ve spent the 2012 season working very hard to demonstrate my potential, but I’ve always remained humble and focused. I am, and always will be, extremely grateful to Peter [Sauber] and everybody at the Sauber Formula One team for their belief in me, and for giving me the chance to race in Formula One.

Whilst Sergio Perez and Jenson Button boast very different driving styles, both drivers are widely known for the way they can both look after their tyres in Formula One.

Button has shown on multiple occasions that he can get more out of the Pirelli tyres than current team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with Button able to get a more laps out of different compounds.

While Perez continues to surprise many in the paddock with just how much he can get out of the Pirelli rubber, picking up great results this season in part due to his and Sauber’s tyre strategy.

With these attributes, a Perez/Button partnership could be very complimentary for McLaren.