Martin Whitmarsh admits to the risk of signing Sergio Perez for 2013 – Formula 1 news
McLaren’s team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, has admitted to the risk of signing the Sauber F1 driver Sergio Perez for 2013 season.
Perez was confirmed by the McLaren team ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix so as to replace Lewis Hamilton who is leaving to join Mercedes. The 22-year-old driver has been going through a performance drought ever since the decision which has raised the question
if Whitmarsh has made a mistake.
“I have to be honest and I don't know [about his potential]. We wouldn't have signed him unless we thought he could go to another level, but I think what I said is that we don't know,” Whitmarsh added.
The team principal pointed out that Perez is the same age at present as Hamilton was when he joined the McLaren team. He confessed that the young driver definitely lacks in experience to deal with pressure.
He said, “He has never experienced the type of pressure that these two guys [Hamilton and teammate Jenson Button] are under. You turn up in a McLaren and if you are not on the front couple of rows then there is a lot of pressure applied to you.”
Whitmarsh said that Perez has the potential to learn and he can see him becoming the world champion someday in the future. He is planning extensive training for the newcomer citing that he will spend much less time in Mexico. He wants him to practice at
the simulator, spend time with the race engineers so that he will be stronger a driver than he is today. The team will be using the winter break to prepare Perez. Whitmarsh is confident about him as well as impressed by his rookie year and the podium finishes
he has achieved this season.
Perez’s driving has been through enough ups and downs at which the driver has denied allegations that the McLaren confirmation is a reason for it. His recent race at Abu Dhabi was not incident free either. However, the McLaren team principal ignored it stating
that such incidents are part of the F1 sport and the race itself was quite eventful.
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