F1 | Perez: “I fear McLaren and Renault, but I firmly believe in Force India”

With the imminent arrival of the second week of testing in Barcelona, Sergio Perez hopes to be able to clarify his ideas on the real potential of the 2018 single-seaters. The less than indicative results obtained during the first days of work at Montmeló, however, did not deter the team driver Force India from one certainty: confirming fourth place in the constructors' championship again will not be easy at all. “I think the McLaren both a a team to keep an eye on and also the Renault, since they are improving a lot” – said “Checo”. “I also firmly believe in Force India, so it will be a tough battle in mid-table: we hope to be much closer to the top three teams”.

“After three months away from the track, it's always a special moment when you feel the power of a Formula 1 car again” – continued the Mexican in reference to the first impact with the VJM11. “It's just a shame that the weather was so bad this week – we limited our mileage and it made things a little more difficult for us. I think that next week will give me a better idea of what we can expect in Melbourne”.

Finally, Perez said he trusts in the reliability of the Mercedes engine to make up for the new rule of the three seasonal power units: “I think it's something that everyone has worked hard on, with the aim of arriving at the end of the year with three engines, even if it seems very little compared to what we have in the past. Mercedes has been strong on reliability, so I hope this can still make a difference”.

Federico Martino