Sergio Perez gears up for the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, a track he describes as his “favourite of the year”.
The Mexican had a low key race last time out in Barcelona, finishing a lowly fifteenth position and unable to add to his thirteen points so far in the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship for Racing Point F1 Team.
Going into Monte Carlo though, a circuit where Perez claimed an impressive podium finish in 2016, he thinks it is the race “everybody wants to go to” every year.
“I love everything about Monaco. It’s so different from any other race weekend and I enjoy every moment,” Perez said.
“The location is beautiful with all the yachts in the harbour and I feel the same excitement every time I go back there. It’s the race everybody wants to go to and it’s one of those events where the fans can get close to the action. I think anybody who loves Formula One needs to go to Monaco and just experience the atmosphere during race week.”
The 29-year old is aware of the dangers the street circuit can have on a driver, justified by his horrific accident in 2011 that saw him miss the race on that weekend and the next one in Canada.
“The circuit is my favourite of the year because it’s difficult for the drivers,” Perez added analytically.
“I’ve always enjoyed driving on street circuits and Monaco is the best of them all. When you go out of the pits on Thursday morning for the first time you can’t believe how narrow the track feels.
“There really is no room for errors and I think that’s what Formula One needs. If you make a mistake at some circuits, you get away with it, but in Monaco you really pay for it. It’s a different challenge and it tests you more than other circuits.”
With the Monaco Grand Prix being the shortest race distance of the season, Perez believes the whole scenario of the weekend will be down to a “lottery”, especially during qualifying.
“The key to Monaco is building your confidence. It’s important to have a smooth lead up to qualifying because you need to feel totally comfortable in the car by the time qualifying begins,” Perez said anxiously.
“There’s always big track evolution so you need to be on track at the right time too. Q1 is always a lottery because there are so many cars on track and it’s not easy to find space to complete a clean lap. If we can get good track position for Sunday then I think we’ve got a good chance to score points.”
