Formula 1: Sergio Perez to return to Force India in 2019

Sergio Perez has signed a contract extension to return to Force India in the 2019 Formula 1 season, which is set to be his sixth season driving for the team.

Sergio Perez, the 28-year-old Mexican who has driven in Formula 1 since the 2011 season, has signed a contract with Racing Point Force India to drive for the team for what is set to be his ninth consecutive season in the sport next season.

Perez has driven for Force India (formerly known as Sahara Force India before this season’s Belgian Grand Prix) since the 2014 season, so the 2019 season is set to be his sixth season driving for the team.

Here is what Perez had to say about re-signing with Force India for the 2019 season, according to RACER.

"“I am very happy to finally announce my future and I’m really motivated for 2019. Force India has been my home since 2014 and has allowed me to grow as a driver and show my skills on track. We have achieved so much success in the last five seasons but I think the best is yet to come. The new investment the team is enjoying fills me with confidence and I am really excited about the future.”"

Here is what Force India team principal Otmar Szafnauer had to say about Perez re-signing with the team for the 2019 season, according to RACER.

"“I’m pleased that Sergio will continue his journey with us in 2019. Over the last five years, Sergio has confirmed his position as one of the most talented and consistent drivers on the Formula 1 grid. He gives us valuable stability going forward and is a huge asset to the team. As we begin an exciting new chapter in the life of this team, we are delighted that Sergio will race with us going forward.”"

It had been widely speculated that Perez would return to the team next season. His financial backers were the ones that sent the team into administration to prevent them from the threat of a winding-up offer, and it was this move that allowed a consortium led by Canadian billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll to purchase the team and rename them Racing Point Force India.

Perez’s teammate Esteban Ocon has confirmed that he will not be returning to Force India next season, and it has been widely speculated that Stroll’s son Lance is set to become Perez’s teammate in 2019, although this move has not yet been officially confirmed.

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Perez has missed just three of the 154 Formula 1 races that have been contested since the start of his rookie season. In 151 career starts, he has earned eight podium finishes, 18 top five finishes and 89 top 10 finishes. His career-high finishes are second place finishes, which he recorded in the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix and the 2012 Italian Grand Prix when he was in his second and final season driving for Sauber.

Over the course of his Formula 1 career, which has also included one season, the 2013 season, during which he drover for McLaren, Perez’s average starting position is 11.0 and his average finishing position is 10.3.

Perez recorded a career-high three podium finishes in the 2012 season, a career-high four top five finishes in the 2015 and 2016 seasons and a career-high 17 top 10 finishes in the 2017 season.

Perez’s career-high average starting position in a season is 8.8, which he recorded in the 2017 season, and his career-high average finishing position in a season is 8.2, which he also recorded in the 2017 season. His career-high finishes in the driver standings are seventh place finishes, which he recorded in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Through 17 of the 21 races on the 2018 schedule, Perez has earned one podium finish, two top five finishes and nine top 10 finishes. He currently sits in a tie for seventh place in the driver standings.

If Perez manages to finish in seventh place in the driver standings for the third consecutive season, he will be considered the “best of the rest” behind the six Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Scuderia Ferrari and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing drivers for the third consecutive season as well.

How will Sergio Perez perform in what is set to be his ninth season in Formula 1 and his sixth season driving for Force India next season? Will Lance Stroll end up becoming his teammate like he is expected to?