Sergio Pérez believes another strong result is on the cars for Force India at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following on from the team’s 5th and 6th place finishes in Montreal.
Pérez spent the majority of the race locked in an ultimately unsuccessful podium battle with Daniel Ricciardo, and while he lost 4th place late on to the charging Sebastian Vettel, feels his ability to mix it with the Red Bulls and Ferraris demonstrate more is to come this weekend.
“I feel positive after Montreal,” he said. “The car was quick and we were competitive. It was always going to be one of our best circuits of the year, but we still had to deliver.
“It’s a good sign for Baku – another track with long straights and big braking zones. I always enjoy street tracks and the team has done a fantastic job to develop the car during the last few races. I think we will be in good shape this weekend too.”
The Baku circuit was the site of the Mexican driver’s equal best result of last season, taking the final podium spot ahead of Kimi Räikkönen‘s Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton‘s Mercedes. He is hoping his strong form last year – where he qualified on the front row but was docked five places after a gearbox change – is an indicator of his team’s expected performance this weekend.
“The memories from last year’s race in Baku are still very strong. We had great pace and I loved the track layout.”
“To recover from a gearbox penalty and still finish on the podium was a very special feeling. It was definitely one of my best weekends in Formula One.”
“If we can find the sweet spot again this year I think we can fight for some big points.”
