“McLaren is always a guarantee, so I have to work very hard. I have to
give everything to my team and I am ready to do that, once I have finished
this season.”
But the former GP2 racer acknowledges he will be under big pressure replacing
2008 champion Hamilton,
who he rates as one of the quickest drivers in the current field.
“Of course I rate Lewis as one of the fastest drivers on the grid so it
will not be easy at all,” he said.
“I know he has very big shoes to fill, and I will work as hard as
possible to give the best results and win the championship with this great
team.”
For much of the season Ferrari had seemed a more likely destination for Pérez,
who was part of the Italian team’s young driver programme.
But Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo publicly questioned whether Pérez
had the maturity to race for the Prancing Horse.
Pérez, who also revealed his talks with McLaren had begun weeks ago, well
before Hamilton informed the team he was leaving, rejected Di Montezemolo’s
comment and is ready to shine in a team that will give him a genuine chance
of winning a world title.
“Of course I respect him (Di Montezemolo),” he said.
“He is a person that I respect a lot. Maybe to drive for Ferrari you need
more experience. I think he has his arguments, it’s better you ask him what
he meant by that.
“Maybe I am too young to join a team like Ferrari, I don’t know.
“But I feel ready to drive for a top team and to fight for the
championship.”