Sauber seat for Perez in 2014 remains uncertain, says Kaltenborn
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has made clear that Sergio Perez is not guaranteed a return to the Swiss Formula One squad for the 2014 season, despite speculation.
Sergio Perez’s future in Formula One was left unresolved in November 2013 after Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn stated that a return to the Swiss outfit for the Mexican driver was not guaranteed for the 2014 season. Perez, who had left Sauber for McLaren at the end of 2012, found himself without a drive following McLaren’s decision to replace him after just one year.
Perez’s departure from Sauber had been a blow for the team, but the relationship remained positive, with the squad retaining its Mexican sponsor Telmex and promoting Esteban Gutierrez, another Mexican, from reserve driver to a race seat for 2013. As McLaren opted to move in a different direction, questions arose about whether Perez could simply slot back into Sauber alongside Gutierrez for 2014.
Sauber considers options beyond Perez
Kaltenborn made clear that while the team valued Perez’s previous contributions, there was no automatic route back. She said Sauber had “never chosen drivers by nationality” and indicated that other candidates were under consideration for the 2014 line-up. The suggestion of running two Mexican drivers, Perez and Gutierrez, was not ruled out, but nor was it presented as a likely outcome.
The team’s financial pressures in 2013, with ongoing speculation about its future and the importance of sponsorship, meant that commercial factors would inevitably play a part in any decision. Unnamed sources in the Mexican media hinted that Telmex funding could support both drivers or even facilitate a larger stake in the team, but no formal moves had been confirmed at the time.
What next for Perez and Sauber?
Both Perez and Gutierrez expressed openness to a Mexican pairing at Sauber, but the final decision rested with the team and its backers. With the driver market in flux and Sauber’s finances under scrutiny, the team’s 2014 line-up remained undecided as of late November 2013.
The uncertainty around Perez’s future highlighted the wider instability among midfield Formula One teams, many of which were balancing sponsorship demands with driver performance. For Sauber, the coming weeks would determine whether Perez could make a return or if the team would look elsewhere for its next signing.
For more on Sauber’s ownership and potential changes, see Marchionne Leaves Door Open for Alfa Romeo Takeover of Sauber F1 Team.
