Sergio Perez is expecting Force India to struggle in Spain next weekend.
Having earlier admitted the Silverstone based team’s lack of competitiveness was affecting his motivation, Mexican Perez then had a good weekend in Bahrain, finishing eighth. But Perez is not expecting a similar weekend in Barcelona. “Definitely we will suffer a lot in Barcelona,” he said, “as it is very demanding aerodynamically with a lot of very fast and medium-speed corners, which is where we suffer most.”
Perez, 25, and teammate Nico Hulkenberg are now looking ahead to June’s Austrian grand prix, where the team is aiming to launch its ‘B’-spec car.
But there are rumours the car will in fact not be ready until the next race at Silverstone. Perez admitted: “It’s a very big frustration as a driver when you know that with the right car you would be winning. “I am sure that if I had that (right) car, I would win races and fight for the championship,” he added.
Perez said that while he finished a surprise eighth in Bahrain, he laments the fact that the performance was essentially overlooked. “It’s hard to explain to people that you did a great race when you are ninth or tenth,” he insisted. “But when you are two tenths a lap faster than your teammate, who is one of the best drivers in the world, and at the end you are 15 seconds in front of him, it is in fact an excellent race,” Perez added. “Obviously, it’s hard for people to see that from the outside.”
However, the former McLaren driver is hoping the right people in the paddock do recognise his talents eventually. “In my five years in F1 I have never had a winning car or even a car capable of being on the podium,” he said, “but I made it to the podium four times. “Some drivers reach the top quickly, for others it takes longer, but I hope to show my talent – whether in this car or not – and it opens the door for me to reach the top of F1,” the Mexican added.
