Perez sets 2013 target with McLaren

Mexican sets sight at winning title next season.

Sergio Perez aims to win the driver’s championship next season when he joins McLaren, according to Sky Sports.

The Woking outfit signed the Mexican driver as a replacement for the team’s last world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will feature for Mercedes from next season. The 22-year-old is yet to win an F1 race as he nears the end of his second season but is already targeting the ultimate prize.

“My target straight away is to win the world championship,” Perez told CNN. “I need to get wins to do that. I know it will be very hard to win the championship but it’s the challenge I want.”

A world title would see the driver reach stardom levels in his home country similar to those now enjoyed by childhood friend Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez. The pair grew up together and Perez sees his transfer from Sauber to McLaren as akin to the striker’s transfer from Guadalajara to Manchester United.

“I guess it’s similar, yes,” he said. “I hope I start at McLaren like Chicharito did at Manchester United.”

Perez acknowledges that he has a massive task of filling the void left by Hamilton at McLaren.

“For sure, I’ve got big shoes to fill. I rate him very highly and he’s maybe the fastest out there. It’s going to be tough to follow what he did.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2012.