Perez makes move to Force India

Sergio Perez has been announced as Nico Hulkenberg’s team-mate at Force India for the 2014 Formula One World Championship.

Force India’s new look line-up for next season comes after both drivers found themselves somewhat unexpectantly without the drives they were expecting.

After being so close to joining Ferrari and Lotus during the season Nico Hulkenberg eventually elected to return to Force India.

Hulkenberg had been in line to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari for next season had Kimi Raikkonen not made the decision to leave Lotus, to return to the team that gave him his only F1 title.

The German driver, who remains highly rated in the paddock, had then been the first choice option for the vacant Lotus seat. But with the Quantum Motorsports deal dragging on Lotus didn’t want to give up on the chance of the investment that signing Pastor Maldonado brings to the team. So, Lotus opted to blink first securing Venezuelan Maldonado and the reported £30million-a-season in sponsorship from state oil company PDVSA.

With Maldonado taking the Lotus drive, that left Hulkenberg with an option to stick or twist.

Last season he made the decision to quit Force India and make the move to Sauber to replace Sergio Perez, this season he has chose to quit Sauber for Force India and ironically will now be lining up alongside Perez after he left McLaren after just one season.

Sergio Perez announced in October that he was to leave McLaren at the end of the season.

The young Mexican, who only joined the team less than a year ago had been the subject of much speculation along the Formula One paddock.

The 23-year-old who had impressed during his time with Sauber was quickly snapped up by McLaren following Lewis Hamilton’s shock decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes last year.

Sergio Perez had come through the young driver development programme at Ferrari, but had been snubbed by the team with Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo believing it was too early for Perez to make the move into Ferrari. Instead they opted to extend Felipe Massa’s contract.

Many in Formula One at the time believed that Ferrari had missed out on one of F1’s most promising talents, with his move to McLaren an extra blow to the team.

But following a poor season with McLaren, it would now perhaps seem that Ferrari’s decision has been vindicated as after just one season McLaren opted to release Perez and promote 21-year-old Formula Renault 3.5 Championship Kevin Magnussen to the seat instead.

With most seats now taken on the Formula One grid, Perez had the choice of re-joining Sauber or making the move to Force India and whilst many would have thought a move back to his old Sauber team would have been the preferred option, the Mexican revealed a move to Force India was his first choice.

‘Coming here was always my first choice and I’m really happy everything has now been confirmed, This is a young team with a lot of determination and they’ve produced competitive cars for the last few years. It’s all change for next season with the new regulations, but I already have a good feeling about 2014. My plan now is to visit the factory and get to know everyone in the team.’ Perez told Sky Sports.

Meanwhile the news means that both Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta will be leaving the team at the end of the calendar year.

Sutil is expected to make the move to Sauber to replace Hulkenberg, whilst Di Resta is expected to make the move Indy Cars.