- McLaren
'95%' chance of Perez staying in F1
Sergio Perez believes he has a 95% chance of staying in Formula One next year and says his position is a lot better than it was a week ago.
Perez announced he would be leaving McLaren in the build-up to the US Grand Prix, forcing him to look elsewhere to stay in the sport. Sauber, Force India and Lotus have yet to confirm their driver line-ups for 2014 and Perez said he is confident of securing a drive at a relatively competitive team.
Asked to rate his chance with a percentage, he said: "Very high. I would say 95%, but the other 5% is still very high. In Formula One to have 5% is quite a lot. I might be here, I might not be here, but this is my aim and I want to be here.
"Definitely it's looking better than it was seven days ago. We have made some progress, which is positive. As we know, in Formula One if you don't have the contract there is nothing there. I'm confident that I will get a seat that will keep me very motivated to achieve my dreams in Formula One."
Asked if Sauber and Force India were his most likely destinations, he said he was weighing up the best option for his future.
"There are some options. One of them is going back to Sauber, but there are other options that we are looking at at the moment. Force India can be another option as well, but there is still nothing really deep in discussion. All the teams that haven't announced a driver, we are looking to see which can be the best option for my future.
"The engine is going to be important, but more important is the team - how they are doing financial wise, how much they have prepared the car for next year... They might have done a great job this year but you never know how they will do next year. It is very important that you look at all the factors together and try to decide the best possible option."
Perez has had financial support from companies within the Telmex group throughout his career and he believes the combination of money and talent he can bring puts him in good stead.
"Right now there is no secret that if you are not in the four top teams, all the rest are struggling financial wise. So it helps, but also my talent helps. At the end of the day I believe I am putting a very strong package together, so I should be in a good position to find a good seat."
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