Perez: Racing Point more convincing than McLaren reunion
Sergio Perez says Racing Point's promising future in Formula 1 was one of the decisive factors in him ruling out a move to rival McLaren.

The Mexican driver was one of several on McLaren's shortlist as a replacement for Stoffel Vandoorne for the 2019 season, the seat eventually going to Lando Norris.
"We think Sergio is an excellent driver and deserves to be on that list," said McLaren boss Zak Brown last year.
Perez drove for McLaren in 2013, but was replaced after a difficult season, the Mexican joining Force India - now Racing Point - for 2014.
Force India went into administration last year, but the team was saved by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, who is aiming to make the team "one of the greatest" in Formula 1.
Despite the interest from McLaren, Perez decided to extend his contract with the Silverstone-based squad, saying a return to the Woking team seemed less appealing.
"McLaren is a great team, it is lacking a bit of time, but what convinced me more is the future here," said Perez. "I've been so many years in this team, I feel so comfortable and I see a bright future.
"And I got involved so much with the team, with the administration process, new ownership and so on, so I felt that there is more that I have to do for this team and I was very happy to commit for another year."
He added: "I am ready to put all my best years in the team and ready to go together to the next step. That is the main main target for us."
Although Force India lost all its 2018 points following the change of ownership after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the new team still went on to finish seventh in the constructors' standings, just 10 points behind McLaren.
Perez admits that it was a surprise that, given all its problems, his team managed to stay in the fight at the head of the midfield, and warned rivals that they should be "worried" for the future.
"I am surprised about it. But I am also with our performance, you know, how close we are, including all the issues we had," he said. "We should be nowhere by now.
"But to be where we are right now, it is impressive, and I think everyone should be very worried for next year on us.
"Now it's the time when we all have to deliver on another level. We have to release all the potential and that is a big thing for us. We have to be ready, all the team, to go to the next step."

Previous article
Verstappen: Day of public service with stewards was “constructive”
Next article
Red Bull: Verstappen has now surpassed Ricciardo

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Sergio Perez |
Teams | Racing Point Force India |
Author | Pablo Elizalde |
Perez: Racing Point more convincing than McLaren reunion
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror