Sergio Pérez: “We have moved forward”

When he signed with McLaren end of 2012 with the heavy task of replacing Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Pérez should not have imagined having to struggle so much with his car. For his first season at Woking, the Mexican initially had difficulty adapting to his new car, the MP4-28, which itself suffers from a cruel lack of performance compared to the other top teams. Then he stood out for his very aggressive behavior on the track, even to the point of sowing doubt among Martin Whitmarsh, his employer. While Formula 1 and its actors are at rest, “Checo”, who admits to having experienced difficulties at the start of the season, is ultimately satisfied with the work accomplished. “It was difficult to get to know the car, He explains. Since the first time I rode it in Jerez and now it has completely changed. Every Friday we take a step forward, trying many things, to the point that on Saturday we start with a completely new car. »

Now at ease, the Mexican believes he has at his disposal all the means to do his best. “My knowledge of the team has increased a lot since the start of the season. Now I am in the right place to maximize the car?s full potential, to explore it to its limits, in every little detail. »

If the driver is happy with the progress made throughout the year, he knows that there is still a long way to go if he wants to score his first podium of the season. “We have moved forward, we are getting stronger and stronger with my group of engineers, but there are still many areas where we can improve. I just ran 10 races with McLaren which were difficult, so I hope the next ones will be better. »

With 5 finishes in the top 10 and a total of 18 points, Sergio Pérez is currently 12th in the Drivers ranking.