The future collaboration between Sauber and Audi has been the talk of the speculative town in the Formula 1 world lately, and now a new name has surfaced in connection with the ambitious project: Sergio Perez.
Perez, who is currently under contract with Red Bull for 2024, has been the center of speculation regarding his future in the sport. Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the awkwardly-named ‘team representative’ of the Swiss based Sauber team, is suddenly and openly expressing his admiration for the Mexican driver.
“He is one of the top drivers,” Bravi stated in an interview with the Mexican sports newspaper Record. He went on to add, “He is an option and if it were up to me, I would bring him to the team tomorrow.”
Despite these remarks, Sauber, which still operates under the Alfa Romeo name until the end of the season, has decided to retain both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou for the 2024 season. However, Bravi maintains that Perez remains a strong option for the future, saying, “He is strong and an option, but we should not rule anyone out.”
Perez’s history with the Sauber team dates back over a decade when he made his Formula 1 debut with the Hinwil-based outfit, bringing along significant support from Mexican sponsors, including Telmex.
Bravi took the opportunity to highlight the growth of motorsport in Mexico, attributing some of the success to Perez’s influence. “For me, there is clear growth in Mexican motorsport,” he said, pointing out the presence of karting, events at circuits like Hermanos Rodriguez and Puebla, prominent sponsors like Telmex, and of course, “Sergio Perez, who is now a hero who inspires.”
