Sergio Perez adamant his messy end to the 2012 season is behind him

The Mexican found himself on the receiving end of criticism at the tail end of 2012 when, after signing for new team McLaren, he failed to score a point for his old outfit Sauber in the final six races of the season.

And although he is adamant that his disappointing run of form had nothing to do with the increased pressure that came with his step up to McLaren, he says that he did not take the situation lightly.

"I have to accept that I made some mistakes, but as well the points didn't come for many reasons," he said during a media interview session involving AUTOSPORT in London on Tuesday.

"It was not only with the mistake I made in Japan, but also other races.

"I put the car sometimes where we were not expecting to be, but for some reason or another we did not manage to get the final result. It was not for lack of preparation - because for any team I am driving I will always give 100 per cent, and that is the approach I always have.

"I think I have to take the positives from 2012, and the negatives as well. From the negatives you learn more than you do from the positives."

Perez's run of form at the end of last year means that there will be more scrutiny on his early performances for McLaren, and increased pressure to not make errors in the first races of the campaign.

But the Mexican thinks that even if he starts the season well, the pressure will not get any less.

"The pressure is there, and the pressure will be there even if I am winning: the pressure will be there to win more," he said.