Sergio Pérez will have a new teammate next year at Force India

After three seasons of sharing the garage with Nico Hülkenberg, the German announced that he will race with the Renault team next season, leaving Checo as the most experienced driver in the team.

Checo's new role

The Mexican is aware of his new role and knows that one of his tasks will be to help the newcomer and, above all, be the undisputed number one driver of the team. "With Nico, it was a very close duel and I don't see why it shouldn't be the same with whoever I have as a teammate, but obviously being the most experienced driver here, I have the responsibility to lead him."

The impact of Hülkenberg's announcement

The words of the Mexican at the start of the activities in the United States Grand Prix focused on Hülkenberg's announcement and the consequences it will have for the following season for the team based in England.

Competition with Hülkenberg

"Obviously it has an impact, the relationship I've had with Nico has been super competitive in these three years and that has largely been reflected in the success the team has had since we both arrived. I just hope that whoever comes has the right attitude to work for the benefit of the team, that they are very fast to push me a lot, and I also look forward to learning from a new driver."

Previous seasons' performance comparison

In their first season together at Force India in 2014, the German outperformed Checo with 96 points against the Mexican's 59, but from the second season onwards, Pérez has prevailed, 78 to 58 in 2015, and 80 to 54 in this 2016, with four races left on the calendar.

Learning from Hülkenberg

"If it were to end today, I would be very happy with what I did against him, against one of the best drivers in Formula One. We are different, we complemented each other very well, he is very fast on cold tires, I am good at tire degradation, he is good in qualifying, I am good in the race. We learned a lot from each other and it helped us become more complete drivers."

Profile of the next teammate

Regarding the profile of his next teammate, Sergio assured that the key will be for them to work together to improve the car, which will help maintain good results for the team currently occupying fourth place in the constructors' championship.

"I would like a teammate with experience, the most important thing will be the attitude and the constant speed they can have. We need to have a good relationship, obviously competitive, but it is very important that together we move the team forward, that we have good feedback and knowledge of what the car is doing to improve."