McLaren: Pérez replaced by Magnussen in 2014?

Despite the improvements noted during the latest Grand Prix, it seems that Sergio Pérez’s fate, who joined McLaren at the start of the season replacing Lewis Hamilton, has been in jeopardy for some time. According to several consistent sources, the Mexican is not expected to be a driver for the Grey team in 2014.

In the afternoon, it was initially from Joe Saward, a British journalist specializing in F1, that one had to seek information, particularly from his blog, where he explained, without using the conditional tense, that Pérez’s fate at McLaren was going to darken very soon, likely in favor of a home-grown talent, Kevin Magnussen. The Mexican’s lack of performance, especially in qualifying, being one of the reasons for this decision.

This evening, it was the BBC that showed itself to be almost affirmative, even giving the reasons for such a decision: « The team spent the week, since Abu Dhabi, analyzing its performances and concluded that Pérez suffered from a speed deficit compared to Button that he will probably never be able to make up. » The British media added: « The Abu Dhabi race was a case in point: despite a slower strategy, Button gained 23 seconds on Pérez after a pit stop on the second lap to replace a damaged front wing. »

It is therefore difficult to still believe in Pérez’s chances of remaining the driver of the second McLaren seat in 2014. Especially since his replacement seems to have been found in the person of the Dane Kevin Magnussen, champion of the World Series by Renault in Formula 3.5, in whom the McLaren team seems to believe, partly based on simulator work more effective than that of Sergio Pérez, according to Joe Saward. On the BBC’s side, sources indicate that while the contract of Jan Magnussen’s son, a former F1 driver with Stewart and McLaren (for just one race), is not yet signed, Martin Whitmarsh would be ready to offer him the seat.

An official announcement will likely be made in the coming days.