Having finally dispelled the memories of his McLaren nightmare, Sergio Perez has established himself as arguably the finest driver in what is perhaps the most competitive midfield has F1 has ever seen.
With his strongest campaign yet, the Mexican spearheaded Force India’s charge to fourth place in the Constructors’ standings, and another shot at the big time appears on the horizon.
Conquering Nico Hulkenberg, one of the sport’s most highly-rated drivers, is certainly no mean feat, but the Mexican did so comfortably this term, scoring 101 points, a tally which saw him claim a mightily impressive seventh place in the Drivers’ championship, compared to the German’s 72. His three-figure haul, the highest of his career so far, is all the more impressive when you consider that Force India endured a tricky start to the season, with the team notching just two points finishes over the course of the first four races.
Yet as Force India improved, thus did Perez, utilising his greatest weapon – fantastic tyre management – to grab a sensational podium finish in a wet-dry Monaco Grand Prix, a result which represented an emphatic reminder of his quality and kick-started the F1 rumour mill.
Two races later in Baku, Perez was back on the podium courtesy of what would prove his best performance of the season. An FP3 crash and the subsequent gearbox penalty had threatened to spoil his weekend, but after sending a clear message to the field by going second fastest in qualifying, he charged through the pack on race day to finish third. He looked in the form of his life.
As Kimi Raikkonen struggled for consistency, Perez attracted Ferrari’s interest. Yet in their eyes, a swoop for Force India’s prize asset was too great a gamble in spite of his superb performances and, rather frustratingly, they played it safe. News broke in July that Raikkonen had been retained for the 2017 season – a decision which the 2007 world champion, to his credit, justified in the latter part of the campaign.
And so it appeared that Perez too would stay put, made to wait once again before he could right the wrongs of his 2013 woes. Such is the nature of the driver market, though, that doors were opening everywhere. As Force India insisted that Perez would remain for 2017, he sparked speculation of a move elsewhere by stressing that no such deal was in place. He was linked with the vacancy left by Felipe Massa’s retirement at Williams and was reportedly on the verge of penning a deal with Renault before finally committing to Force India following the Malaysia Grand Prix.
In the latter part of the season, Perez demonstrated the consistency crucial for any midfield driver to secure a promotion, rounding out the year with ten consecutive points finishes. There was disappointment on home soil as he was forced to settle for tenth, with an appearance on the most spectacular podium of the year still confined to his dreams, but he recovered in style with another eye-catching result at a soaking Interlagos, steering his Force India to fourth place, denied a podium only by Max Verstappen’s heroics.
For a midfield team, a driver of Perez’s calibre is invaluable. F1’s unsung hero was instrumental in his team’s eventual triumph over serial world champions Williams, with his combined 30-point haul in Monaco and Baku representing nearly 20% of the Silverstone outfit’s final points tally. The dependable Hulkenberg also played a vital role, of course, but it is Perez who has grabbed the headlines and emerged as marginally the quicker of the pair over the previous two years.
What’s next, then? Force India, pound-for-pound the sport’s most impressive performers, represent a solid option for 2017, though could be nudged down the running order a resurgent McLaren. With Hulkenberg jumping ship to sleeping giants Renault, Perez will now assume the effective role of team leader alongside Esteban Ocon and only a comprehensive victory over the Mercedes prodigy in their intra-team duel will do as he looks to put his foot in the door at the top teams for 2018.
With Raikkonen expected to hang up his helmet at the end of the year, a repeat of his fantastic 2016 efforts may well be enough to secure a move so many F1 drivers dream of.
Sergio Perez has proven to us all, and I do not say this lightly, that he can win the world championship in the future.
