Perez reveals how he saved Force India from collapse in 2018

Sergio Perez has revealed how he put Force India into administration during the summer of 2018, a drastic step that prevented the team from being destroyed by bankruptcy. The Mexican driver acted after learning that an unpaid supplier's winding-up petition would have liquidated the Silverstone squad before any rescue was possible.

Why it matters:

Without Perez's intervention, Force India would have vanished, taking hundreds of jobs with it and erasing the foundation that eventually became Aston Martin. It remains one of the most unusual off-track actions by a Formula 1 driver, forcing him to navigate contract law while continuing to race at the highest level.

The details:

• Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Perez explained that Force India had failed to pay his salary for the entire year as Vijay Mallya's financial troubles mounted.
• His manager warned that a supplier's winding-up petition would trigger immediate liquidation, leaving no time to find a buyer.
• Perez and manager Julian Jakobi initiated administration just days before the petition would have landed, creating a 90-day protected period that allowed Lawrence Stroll's consortium to complete its takeover.
• The process consumed his race weekends. Perez met with lawyers immediately before qualifying and grands prix, then addressed staff to explain that administration was their only protection against losing their jobs.

The big picture:

Force India's near-collapse exposes the fragile economics that independent Formula 1 teams often face behind the headlines. Perez's legal maneuver not only rescued a midfield mainstay but also enabled the Aston Martin project to exist today, showing how closely a driver's fate is tied to his team's survival.