Perez ready to leave F1 if one 'fundamental issue' doesn't change

Sergio Perez is urging Formula 1 to transform itself, admitting that he no longer wants to belong to a sport where success is decided by the teams rather than the drivers.

Fans and competitors alike are hoping that F1 ushers in a new era in 2021 when the sport overhauls its sporting and technical regulations with the aim of creating a more level and accessible playing field.

Like all his midfield rivals, Perez is longing for a chance to join the battle at the front of the grid and upset the enduring leadership enjoyed by Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

However, should that prospect still prove impossible to achieve in 2021, the frustrated Racing Point driver could simply walk away from the sport.

"I think what F1 has to do is to make this a drivers' championship instead of a team championship," the Mexican told Motorsport.com.

"Over the last years it has got worse and at the moment it is just a teams' championship, it is not a drivers' championship.

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"It is everything related to your car potential, which is a big shame for the sport, for the drivers.

"There are fantastic drivers who will probably never have the opportunity to stand on the podium due to the lack of competitiveness that you get through your career.

"I think it is a fundamental issue and F1 has to change massively.

"I am really looking forward to the 2021 rules to see if that happens because I've been too long [like this].

"I don't want to be any longer in a championship that is teams related, so hopefully the drivers in the future can do a bit more to make the difference."

Perez undoubtedly feels privileged to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport, but also disheartened by the idea that luck rather than talent or hard work will eventually allow him to step up on to the podium on Sunday afternoons.

"Imagine how frustrating it is to come here knowing that you are fighting to be best of the rest," he said.

"People struggle to understand, but it is not like tennis or golf where you have some equipment but it is up to the tennis player or the golf player to deliver

"You go there and you don't know where you are going to finish. Here you come and everyone knows more or less where you are going to finish.

"So that is something that has to change dramatically in the sport to make it better, otherwise it will be a massive problem for the future."

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As Liberty Media, the FIA and the sport's teams work towards defining the future, Perez believes that those in charge should go all out to ensure that tomorrow's F1 is all about equal opportunity rather than excessive resources.

"The people in charge of the rules are trying hard to give all the teams the same opportunities," he said.

"Obviously they are fantastic teams and so on, but I think one of the big issues is resources.

"You are competing with teams that have three or four times more resources than you, and it has been like that for many years.
So the structures that they are able to build compared to yours are simply not possible. I think that is one of the issues.

"Also make more standard cars. Keep the technology in place to keep attracting manufacturers which F1 needs, but we want to see the best driver winning – not the best car.

"For me as a fan and as a driver it is what I want from F1 very soon. Otherwise, it gets less interesting."

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