Perez’s move from Mclaren Mercedes to Sahara Force India has paid off
New things have been happening in Sergio Perez’s life lately. He joined Sahara Force India for the ongoing season and in just the very third race of the season, was on the podium — finishing third in Bahrain Grand Prix two weeks back. It was something new for him as he had not managed to be on the podium in 2013, even in a superior Mclaren Mercedes team. The win gave this 24-year-old Mexican driver a lot of confidence as after being out of favour with Mclaren, he had almost quit the sport. The result meant relief for the youngster.
“It was a very special day; one of the most memorable races of my life. It’s a big relief after two difficult races in Australia and Malaysia, and it felt as if my season really started in Bahrain. It was the first weekend where we had no issues to deal with and I was able to develop the car through the weekend. So it’s a big moment for me and for the team,” Sergio told The Pioneer in an e-mail interview earlier in the week after testing his car mid-season.
These are early days and he’s learning to adjust with the new rules of the game that came into effect this year.
“The new rules are interesting and the cars are quite challenging to drive. There is less downforce now — compared with last year — but there is a lot of torque from the engine so it’s quite a different feeling. I think the new rules reset everything compared to last year. It has given us a chance to be more competitive because it’s such a big technical challenge and there is so much to learn. The team has done an amazing job with the car and we have a great engine [Mercedes] so we have certainly made the most of the new rules,” the former Sauber driver in 2011 and 2012 season.
And, what about his new teamIJ What is it to be in a comparitively smaller teamIJ Does his involvement, with all the experience he has, increase his involvement in the technical sideIJ He’s just finished a mid-season testing. What are the areas that he has worked onIJ
“It’s only my third race so I still have things to learn and will get to know the team better, but I already feel very happy here. It feels like home. During the testing, there were some new parts – aero stuff – and we tried different directions with the set-up to understand the car better. We tried the things we don’t usually have time to do during a race weekend. We made progress but we still need to do some more work. Hopefully they will make us more competitive because we already have a great package, but we always want more grip,” the driver who has 16 points in the season, elaborated.
His partner Nico Hulkenberg was a part of Force India in 2012 and returned this year after a stint with Sauber in 2013. Rosberg is also in very good racing form with points in every race which means he is at number three on the drivers’ standings at the moment with 28 points. The advantage for Nico is that he’s been a part of the team before.
Sergio feels that there always is a battle within the battle, much like the Mercedes Petronas twins, lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg, are having at the top of the standings.
“Every driver wants to beat his teammate — that’s always the case, but we are also working for the team together. I had a great battle with Nico in Bahrain and I had to work hard to beat him, but it’s important to have a teammate that can push you and Nico is a very quick driver,” Perez said about his teammate.
Talking about Mercedes, they’ve had the best start this season with 1-2 finishes in Bahrain and Malaysia for Hamilton and Rosberg respectively while the latter finishing on top in Australia. Perez feels the Mercedes rush shall continue.
“The Mercedes team is incredibly strong. I think it will be hard for anybody to catch them this year. The other teams seem to be quite similar and Red Bull look strong. I also think it will depend on track characteristics which teams will be competitive,” he explained.
He hasn’t had a very good Qualifying for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, he starts 16th so another podium is unlikely. But what about the futureIJ There are expectations of more podium finishes, what are his chancesIJ
“It’s hard to say. We have a good package this year and everything came together in Bahrain. The car was strong all weekend so I knew I had to take the opportunity with both hands. Things can change quickly in Formula One and we know all the other teams are working hard with developments, but we had a good test in Bahrain and will keep pushing hard. There is a lot of potential in this team and everybody is hungry for more success,” the driver signed off.