Sergio Pérez has finally confirmed his 2017 career future, as he announced that he will remain with Force India for another year. He will remain alongside Nico Hülkenberg for the season.
Pérez had signed a contract with Force India several months ago, but that was in doubt due to some issues with Mexican financial backers for 2017 commercial deals, along with some outstanding salary payments. Both of these issues were cleared up this weekend, allowing the team to officially confirm that Pérez will stay with the team.
Sergio Pérez was thankful to be confirmed with the team for 2017:
“I’m pleased to confirm that I will be racing with Sahara Force India in 2017 as the team and my supporters have concluded their agreements. I’m very happy with this team and I have a good feeling for the future. I’ve seen the progress we’ve made over last couple of years and I’m sure we have the potential to achieve even more going forward. The team knows me well and it’s important to have stability, especially with some big rule changes planned for next year. I’m excited for the rest of this season and for the challenge that awaits all of us in 2017. I thank all the team for believing in me and I will do my best repay their faith with points, podiums and hopefully wins. I also want to thank our Mexican partners, especially Telmex and Telcel, who have been supporting me since I was a young boy. They continue to play an important role in my journey through the sport.”
The Mexican had been previously linked with a move to Renault, but the team required a three-year commitment that Pérez was not willing to offer. He was also linked to a potential move to Haas, which would have hopefully led to a seat on Ferrari, but that was only a backup deal if his Force India deal had fell through.
