Perez eyes points from the outset
Sergio Perez is optimistic that he can challenge for points immediately when he gets his Formula 1 career underway with Sauber in Melbourne at the end of this month
The 2010 GP2 runner-up has shown encouraging form through winter testing so far and was fourth at Catalunya today.
Asked about his hopes for the start of the season, Perez replied: "I would be really happy if I could be top 10. I think it's achievable. I think we can achieve a top 10. This is our aim, to be in the points."
The Mexican will make his debut in Australia after two seasons of GP2, and while he admits that the competitive order is still a mystery, he said that he believed that Sauber would start off in decent shape.
"We are getting there," he said. "I think we've got some good updates and we are getting there. Hopefully we can still do some work to improve the balance, but I am positive.
"I don't think anybody has an idea [where they stand]. It's my first season in Formula 1, but what I hear from a lot of people is that nobody knows, and we don't know where we are."
Perez enjoyed a solid opening day to the final pre-season test at Barcelona, despite losing some track time to mechanical problems. He briefly held the top spot on the timesheets at the end of the day, but had the lap cancelled out after being found to have cut the chicane.
"Today was a positive day," he said. "We missed a bit of the programme, but apart from that it was a positive day. The new updates that we brought to the test seem to work in the right direction, so we can be happy."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
The Indy 500 poleman who didn't live to raceday
Fast Failures: American heartbreak at the Indianapolis 500
Indy Lights champion Spencer Pigot gets three race IndyCar deal
Perez: Red Bull can be more resilient to graining after Melbourne
Sainz: Red Bull’s F1 advantage may be wiped away by Ferrari upgrades
The three factors behind Verstappen overturning Perez's real Suzuka advantage
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Albon: No point 'wallowing about' over lost Red Bull F1 place
The small change that will be F1 2021's big talking point
F1 team-mates' qualifying battles: Chinese GP
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results: Norris takes pole
F1 Chinese GP: Norris takes sprint pole in chaotic dry-to-wet qualifying
Peugeot surprised by severity of WEC Balance of Performance hit
Why F1 2026 worst case fears could be key to new rules success
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments