Force India to sign Perezposted in F112 | 12 | 2013
FORCE INDIA WILL today confirm the worst kept secret in Formula One when they sign Mexican Sergio Perez to replace Bathgate's Paul di Resta (pictured). Perez, unceremoniously dumped by McLaren, brings with him in excess of £10 million of sponsorship money.
It's long been expected Force India would opt for the financial solution of bringing Perez into the team to partner Nico Hulkenberg for 2014.
There's a concerning irony surrounding the team's decision to bring Perez — the announcement will be made in London today — into the fold.
The first is that towards the end of the 2012 season, after Lewis Hamilton announced he was switching to Mercedes, McLaren was poised to sign Di Resta as a replacement.
But Hamilton's decision coincided with the news McLaren was to lose it's primary sponsor, Vodaphone. Concerned by the cash implications, the Woking team stunned the F1 paddock by signing Perez … and pocketing his cash.
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At the time, many questioned McLaren's sense. There's no doubt Di Resta — well known to the team, and who, himself, understood fully the workings of McLaren — would have been a better fit, and done a far better job in terms of results and points.
How ironic then that, 12 months later, McLaren — now flush with the knowledge they have Honda cash coming in in 2015 — ditch Perez and then essentially guarantee him a seat with Force India.
That Di Resta was pivotal in helping Force India seal sixth place in this year's constructors' championship appears to have quickly been forgotten by the team.
Loyalty, it's clear, has no place in F1 … certainly when it comes to teams.
And though the 27-year-old Scot doesn't bring — unlike Perez — wads of sponsorship cash with him, it's worth noting the difference between sixth and seventh in the constructors' championship equates to around £10m.
What next for Di Resta? A return to DTM in Germany — where he won the title in 2010 — with Mercedes, is high on the list. Talks too have taken place with Sauber regarding their second seat.
IndyCar? That remains a possibility, but it's an outside possibility. Di Resta has made it clear he has concerns about the safety of open-wheel racing in the States.
On thing though which is certain, is that Paul di Resta won't be racing with Force India in 2014: not because of any lack of talent, but simply because he refuses to buy a seat in Formula One.
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Jim McGill