Sergio Pérez admits he does not understand why he is overlooked as a possible candidate for the top drives in Formula 1, particularly with the results and performances he has achieved during his time with the Sahara Force India F1 Team.
The Mexican has scored four podiums in his four full season with the Silverstone-based team, and although a top three finish eluded him in 2017, he secured seventh place in the championship for a second consecutive season, behind only the drivers from the three top teams on the grid.
However, Pérez has not been linked to any of the top drives that could be set to open up at the end of the season, and the twenty-eight-year-old admits he does not understand why.
“I don’t know the reason for that,” Pérez is quoted as saying by F1i.com. “I think I’ve been doing a very strong job in the past seasons so in that side there is not a lot I can do. It’s hard to show.
“I finish in the last two years seventh in the championship, in the front mix. So it’s hard for people to realise but I’m sure when they look at the performance.
“It’s not a coincidence I’ve beaten good drivers such as [Nico] Hülkenberg, the time we spent together. I believe I can be as good as anyone out there.”
Pérez still has ambitions to be in a position to fight for race wins and championships in the future, and he hopes he can show again in 2018 the kind of form that has turned him into a fast and solid driver.
“I still have my aim one day I will get the chance to fight for the best possible results because I believe I am as good as anyone here,” added Pérez.
“But in Formula 1 it’s so much down to the potential of your team and your car. I hope that soon I can get an opportunity to show my full capacity.”