"Sad" Perez bids emotional farewell to "crying" Racing Point crew

Departing Racing Point driver Sergio Perez bid an emotional farewell to his "crying" crew after retiring from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Just a week on from his maiden Formula 1 victory in the SakhirGP, Perez ended his seven years with the team with a loss of power in his RP20 on lap eight that forced him to frustratingly pull off track.

Reflecting on his time with Racing Point, Perez explained how some of his crew were in tears in the garage and that he had to remind all involved of the season's highlights ahead of his departure.

"I definitely feel sad, leaving the team in this way," he told Sky Sports F1.

"Some of them were crying in the end so I told them we have to remember what happened last weekend, what happened in the entire season. It wasn't an easy year for us.

"We still managed to finish P4 in the drivers' championship, we missed two races with Covid, reliability issues hit us really hard this season and in the end, it is a shame we just missed out on P3 in the constructors' championship.

"Well done to McLaren, they deserved that, they have done a tremendous job with the car they had, the drivers delivered weekend after weekend so well done to them."

Despite the bitter disappointment of leaving on a retirement, Perez expressed his hope of future success for the team as it transitions into Aston Martin from 2021.

"I am leaving very happy, I will always be very proud of my boys," he insisted. "Saving their jobs at the time was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

"That team will always be my favourite team in Formula 1 because they gave me all and I gave them back everything.

"I look forward to seeing them very successful. The future is looking bright for them so I look forward to seeing them win more races."

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