Perez recalls 'intense' 2018 on and off the track

Sergio Perez has outlined how tough 2018 was for him as he faced the uncertainty of having a seat within Formula 1 due to the financial troubles at Force India, whilst also dealing with a young child after becoming a father the year before.

At one point last year, it looked like the Force India team would effectively be dead, only for billionaire Lawrence Stroll, the father of driver Lance Stroll, to bail them out with a takeover, with the team name subsequently being changed to Racing Point.

He has driven for the team since 2014 and was understandably under a lot of pressure when trying to drive at the same time as the politics was going on behind the scenes.

“It was a very particular year,” Perez told the official F1 website.

“A very intense year, going through all the process, all the uncertainty, all the pressure I had on my shoulders for more than 400 jobs.

“Looking after the team was not easy. Look after my son wasn't easy either! The personal life was fantastic, a fantastic year, but the professional life was a lot harder. But still, I managed to finish eighth, I managed to get a podium, so it wasn't that bad in the end.”

The Mexican praises the impact the new ownership has had on the team, as now the driver can focus on their main job rather than worrying about finances or the business aspect of F1.

“It makes a massive difference,” Perez admits.

“To be focused on your things and just focus on being the best racing driver you possibly can.

“It's a really exciting beginning, a new era. The project, the whole project, going through the administration process and so on just motivates me massively. I want to make this project very successful.”

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