Sergio Perez believes he has the speed to fight for a Canadian Grand Prix podium

Perez missed last year's Canadian race as a result of his high-speed crash in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, the Mexican pulling out after feeling dizzy during practice and being replaced by Pedro de la Rosa.

However, Perez believes that the handful of laps he completed at Montreal last year will prove crucial when it comes to getting up to speed this time around. He is even predicting that he will be in a position to fight for a podium.

"It is a circuit I know well from only the few laps in free practice one last year, because after the accident I could not race here, as I had to go home," Perez said.

"Hopefully this weekend can be a lot better, we have a very competitive car and we can fight for a podium here.

"I've done some laps in the simulator, [so] I think it is a circuit that will not be a problem to get up to speed, because I have done enough laps already in free practice one [in 2011]."

Perez believes that Sauber has the car speed to be a podium contender, and that a little bit of luck is the ultimate key to a result.

"I think it is just a matter of putting everything together," he added.

"We have enough speed. We have had unlucky races like China, but the only weekend we did not have the speed was in Bahrain, because we had a lot of degradation. In Spain I had a puncture, and in Monaco had speed to fight for win but I went straight and had problems with the steering wheel.

"The speed is there, everything is there, it is just a matter of luck - and we have been just unlucky in the last few races."