F1 | Force India, Perez: “In Spain it will be important to be perfect in qualifying”

The podium in Azerbaijan was certainly a nice boost of confidence for Sergio Perez and Force India, protagonists of a not particularly exciting start to the championship, but which is improving race after race. The difficulties encountered in the winter during the design of the car slowed down the development program of the Anglo-Indian team, forcing them to present themselves at the tests with a single-seater that was still a work in progress: the updates brought during the first four races, however, significantly improved the situation, progressing VJM11 appointment after appointment.

Before the next Spanish Grand Prix, Perez wanted to return to the excellent result obtained in Azerbaijan, also analyzing the start of the season: “Finishing on the podium in Baku was a great feeling. After some difficult races we finally managed to get the results we deserve. It reminded me of 2016, when we had a difficult start to the season, but with that podium in Monaco. We were fast in Baku, from start to finish and we knew there was a good chance of a podium finish. I am proud of my team and how we managed to achieve this. Even when we had to pit for the first lap, we never stopped fighting and believing."

The Barcelona event is one of the most important on the calendar because, due to the layout and characteristics of the track which make it one of the most complete of the entire championship, it can say a lot about the level of competitiveness of the car. The Mexican driver is confident about the race scheduled for this weekend, recalling last season's result: “Barcelona saw us achieve our best team result last season, so you never know what could happen this year. It's a track we know really well since we are testing, but obviously our car has changed a lot since the winter tests and it will be interesting to see the differences. Unlike Baku, in Barcelona it is difficult to overtake so we have to be perfect in qualifying. It's fantastic to be back racing in Europe and it's the perfect place to start this part of the championship. I really like the city of Barcelona and my fitness coach Xavi is Catalan, so it's a special race for him" concluded Perez.