Sergio Perez Reigns Supreme On Day Two At Barcelona Test

Sergio Perez has ended the second day of the Barcelona test fastest for McLaren, as the Mexican driver continues to find his feet at the Woking-based outfit. The youngster was followed home by reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton a distant 3rd.

Day two of the Barcelona test dawned in cold yet sunny weather conditions for the eleven Formula 1 teams up and down the paddock, as a slightly revised driver line-up prepared to take to the Circuit de Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton was scheduled to make his first appearance of the week at Mercedes, with Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas doing likewise at their respective outfits. Once the track turned green, Charles Pic and Max Chilton became the first drivers to take to the circuit, with many others following suit to carry out their installation laps.

The first timed lap of the day was set by the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, who produced a 01:28.723 early on. The 2008 World Champion continued to improve at the top, eventually working his way down to a 01:27.563. However, his McLaren successor Sergio Perez soon rose to the top setting a 01:26.294. Just like the Briton before him, Perez was able to improve upon his time at the top with a 01:25.481. As the morning session wore on, Lewis Hamilton began trading fastest times at the top with the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.

Eventually the reigning World Champion asserted his authority by setting a 01:22.197, with Sergio Perez slotting into 2nd position for McLaren +0.546 seconds off the German’s pace. Sebastian Vettel’s time at the top remained unchallenged for the remainder of the morning period, with the German eventually entering the lunch hour fastest. Once the track action had been resumed after the lunch interval, Nico Hulkenberg became the first driver to take to the Circuit de Catalunya for Sauber.

Although the majority of the field had completed considerable mileage throughout the morning period, Kimi Raikkonen had endured a quiet second day for Lotus. The reasons behind this became apparent in the afternoon when the Enstone-based outfit confirmed that the Finn’s E21 had been struck with a gearbox issue, and that the team were currently changing the gearbox. This therefore accounted for the 2007 World Champion’s inactivity throughout the morning period.

Sergio Perez rose to the top for McLaren once again, with the Mexican ace setting a 01:21.848. After several hours of idleness for Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn finally returned to the track several hours into the afternoon period, with the Iceman shooting straight to 3rd fastest with a 01:22.697. Amazingly the entire morning period passed by without a red flag delay, however reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel brought proceedings to a momentary halt during the afternoon after the German came to a halt at the end of the pit-lane.

The session was quickly resumed as the German’s car was returned to Red Bull’s garage, with six drivers immediately taking to the track including Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen. Despite many drivers taking to the track with only several minutes remaining in the day, the second day was brought to a premature end when the Marussia of Max Chilton stopped between Turns 12 and 13. This therefore saw Sergio Perez end the day fastest for McLaren, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

Tomorrow will once again see several driver changes up and down the paddock, including Nico Rosberg’s return behind the wheel of the Mercedes W04, Mark Webber replacing Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button at McLaren and the return of Adrian Sutil at Force India.

Today's times

Pos  Driver             Team          Time       Gap     Laps  Tyre
 1.  Sergio Perez       McLaren       1m21.848s           97   Soft
 2.  Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull      1m22.197s  +0.349   84   Soft
 3.  Kimi Raikkonen     Lotus         1m22.697s  +0.849   43   Medium
 4.  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes      1m22.726s  +0.878   121  Hard
 5.  Fernando Alonso    Ferrari       1m23.247s  +1.399   76   Medium
 6.  Valtteri Bottas    Williams      1m23.561s  +1.713   98   Soft
 7.  Daniel Ricciardo   Toro Rosso    1m23.718s  +1.870   70   Medium
 8.  Paul di Resta      Force India   1m23.971s  +2.123   62   Medium
 9.  Nico Hulkenberg    Sauber        1m24.205s  +2.357   88   Medium
10.  Max Chilton        Marussia      1m25.115s  +3.267   67   Soft
11.  Charles Pic        Caterham      1m26.243s  +4.395   102  Medium

Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team

McLaren Unveil MP4-28 Challenger In Spectacular Fashion

McLaren have become the second team to unveil their 2013 challenger ahead of the new season, during a spectacular ceremony at the team’s Woking factory which included a parade of race and Championship winning cars from the outfits colorful history. The covers were taken off of the new car by drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez.

The Woking-based outfit ended the 2012 season in fine form with victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix at the hands of Jenson Button, and aim to begin the new season in similar fashion with the 2009 World Champion now partnered by Mexican sensation Sergio Perez. The duo arrived in spectacular fashion to unveil the new car, with Button and Perez arriving via the outfit’s development model of the new McLaren P1 sportscar and 12C Spider respectively.

Just like last season’s MP4-27, this year’s machine features no ugly step-nose design. Instead the car includes a majestically sweeping nose design, however slight modifications have been carried out towards the front of the car, including new front pullrod suspension configuration, sidepod profiles and rear bodywork. The livery also remains the same, maintaining a combination of silver and rocket red.

It has also been confirmed that Jenson Button will become the first driver to get behind the wheel of the new MP4-28 once pre-season testing gets underway at Jerez next week, as the Briton prepares to begin his fourth season with McLaren. Jenson Button took three victories last season for the outfit, including a sensational win at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The 33-year-old is already eager to begin testing ahead of the new season, and is confident that both he and Sergio Perez can excel at the top.

“I’m going into my fourth season as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver and, more than ever, I know and understand the strengths and abilities of this team.” Explained Jenson Button, “This year is really about continuity and consolidation. Obviously, the biggest change for 2013 is my new team-mate, Checo [Sergio Perez]. It’s always interesting and inspiring to begin working with a new face, and it already feels like a very positive working relationship.

“This year’s car is the best we’ve ever made – I know the engineers have left absolutely no stone unturned in wringing every ounce of performance from every available area. I cannot wait to get behind the wheel and attempt to carry forward the incredible legacy that lives beneath the skin of every single man and woman who works at McLaren.”

Sergio Perez is also eagerly anticipating his debut year with McLaren, after making the switch to the Woking-based outfit from Sauber. The 23-year-old understands that there will be high amounts of pressure on his shoulders to perform at the team, but is confident he can prove his doubters wrong and begin his career at the team with the fierce competitiveness witnessed last season with Sauber.

“For me, this is a great day.” Enthused Sergio Perez, “In fact, every day this year has been great: I’ve been working hard with my new team to get everything ready for the start of the 2013 season – and it’s been an incredible journey to get to know this incredible organisation. I’m incredibly proud to be a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.

“Of course, I am fully aware of the steep slope ahead of me: it has already been an intense couple of weeks, getting to grips with a new team, meeting my engineers and mechanics, learning new ways of working and, of course, learning all about a brand new car – something I’ll need to do with just six days of on-track testing. It’s a big challenge.

“But I’m more prepared than I’ve ever been for the start of a new season. I feel extremely fit, focused and refreshed – there’s still a lot to do, but my aims are to feel confident, comfortable and ready to race by the time I land in Australia in just a few weeks’ time.”

Although many were quick to question McLaren’s decision to replace Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez, the young Mexican driver is keen to open his winning account with the Woking-based outfit in 2013. McLaren both started and ended last season with victories at Australia and Brazil, and will be keen to emulate such success once the new season gets underway at the Australian Grand Prix in several weeks time.

Picture(s) Copyright © McLaren F1 Team

Sergio Perez Prepared For Added Pressure With McLaren In 2013

Sergio Perez has explained how he is prepared for the added pressure at McLaren in 2013, as the Mexican star prepares for his third season in Formula 1 and his first with the Woking-based outfit alongside 2009 World Champion Jenson Button. Sergio Perez will be replacing Lewis Hamilton, who has moved to Mercedes to partner Nico Rosberg.

Despite widespread skepticism within the world of Formula 1 towards McLaren’s decision to replace Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez, the 23-year-old is confident he can excel in the new season. In only his second season last year, Perez successfully finished on the podium three times for Sauber which so nearly included a race victory at the wet/dry Malaysian Grand Prix. Should Sergio Perez replicate such competitiveness in 2013, it is expected he should become a regular on the rostrum.

Sergio Perez understands that the pressure on his shoulders will increase throughout the 2013 season, due largely to McLaren’s expectations of regular race victories from both himself and Jenson Button. However, the Mexican driver is confident he can rise to the challenge of winning races straight away with the Woking-based outfit, and is unfazed by the pressure of moving to one of the most accomplished outfits on the grid.

“Pressure will definitely raise a notch or two.” Explained Sergio Perez, “Here I will be given a car that can win, so winning is what I am supposed to do. To be frank, if you are not able to deal with pressure in Formula One, then this is the wrong place for you. Go and look for something else.”

Last season the Pirelli tyres greatly assisted in creating one of the most entertaining and competitive seasons in the history of the sport, with many drivers unable to get to grips with the controversial P-Zero and Cinturato range. However, Sergio Perez was one of the very few drivers on the grid who mastered the tyres, along with his new team-mate Jenson Button. Sergio Perez is understandably hopeful that he will be able to continue mastering the Pirelli tyres in 2013, and is also optimistic that together both he and Jenson Button can combine their knowledge of the tyre range to propel the team forwards.

“Hopefully.” Continued Sergio Perez, when asked whether both he and Jenson Button’s ability to work with the Pirelli tyres will be a good thing for McLaren. “But that is all speculation right now – nothing is certain when you haven’t been in the car and done a good deal of mileage. My guess is that it would, of course, help the team to have two drivers with quite similar driving styles. But how similar are we? We’ll find out in the next couple of weeks when we sit in the same car. Anything else would be comparing apples with oranges.”

Sergio Perez will get his first taste of the new Mercedes-powered McLaren MP4-28 several days after the new car’s unveiling, when pre-season testing gets underway at Jerez in Spain. The Mexican driver has only one goal for the new season, which is to begin winning races for the Woking-based outfit alongside team-mate Jenson Button. McLaren ended last season with victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, and will unquestionably be eager to begin the season in similar fashion with victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team

Sergio Perez Aiming For Championship Glory In 2013

Sergio Perez has explained how will be targeting Championship success straight away with McLaren, after the young Mexican driver completed his first press appearance at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking ahead of his maiden voyage with the team in March. Sergio Perez will be replacing the Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton in 2013.

After two highly competitive seasons with Sauber, Sergio Perez is now preparing for another big leap in his motorsport career as he prepares to join 2009 World Champion Jenson Button at one of the most prestigious teams on the Formula 1 grid. With Lewis Hamilton controversially leaving the Woking-based outfit for 2013 to join Mercedes-Benz, McLaren surprisingly opted for Sergio Perez as his replacement over the likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta.

However, despite a topsy-turvy 2012 campaign, Sergio Perez understands that he needs to change his approach to a race weekend if he is to succeed at the top with McLaren. After confirmation emerged towards the end of last season regarding Perez’s switch to McLaren, his performance dipped somewhat, although the 22-year-old is confident he can win from the beginning.

“Hopefully we can have a very strong car and fight for the Championship.” Explained Sergio Perez to the media during his visit to the MTC, “That has to be the target. I don’t feel the pressure but obviously you have to deliver here in McLaren. You are coming here to deliver results, to win Championships. This is the target when you come to McLaren, the best team in F1, you have to really deliver the results.”

Should Sergio Perez achieve his maiden Formula 1 victory this season with McLaren, he will become the first Mexican driver to win a race since the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix when Pedro Rodriguez won for BRM. If Sergio Perez exceeds his own aims and becomes World Champion during his time with McLaren, he would become the first ever Mexican Formula 1 World Champion, creating his own piece of motorsport history.

Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team

Sergio Perez Reveals Esteban Gutierrez As Sauber Replacement

Sergio Perez has revealed that fellow countryman Esteban Gutierrez will replace him at Sauber, amid strong speculation as to who will partner Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber next season. This slightly unorthodox confirmation will likely leave Kamui Kobayashi without a drive next season, and will see a second Mexican driver enter the sport.

This announcement by Sergio Perez comes after the Swiss outfit announced they would confirm the second driver alongside Hulkenberg by the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, however it seems Sergio Perez has let slip about Sauber’s future plans. After it was confirmed that Perez would replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next season, speculation instantly gathered strong momentum that the Mexican would be replaced by fellow countryman Esteban Gutierrez. After Nico Hulkenberg was confirmed at the team, current driver Kamui Kobayashi’s future in the sport began to look bleak.

However, it now seems that Kamui Kobayashi’s time in Formula 1 is up after Esteban Gutierrez was as good as confirmed as his successor. The 21-year-old Mexican was the inaugural GP3 Champion in 2010, and has since enjoyed a successful career in GP2 with Lotus GP, which has seen the rising star take four victories over the course of the last two seasons. Gutierrez has long been associated with Sauber, after becoming the teams test and reserve driver in 2009.

Sergio Perez’s mistake of prematurely announcing his successor came as the Mexican driver prepared for his final race with the outfit at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, when he was plagued with questions about the vacancy at the team by Spanish media at the Interlagos circuit. After announcing Esteban Gutierrez as Hulkenberg’s 2013 team-mate, he then laughed and added “we are waiting for the announcement.”

“The car will be strong because the rules don’t change much, and the team have a good experienced driver in Nico [Hulkenberg] and he will have a strong team-mate in Esteban [Gutierrez],” explained Sergio Perez, amid preparations for this weekend’s season-finale at Sao Paulo.

Prior to Sergio Perez’s statement on Sauber’s 2013 plans, Kamui Kobayashi confirmed his continuation in the sport looks uncertain, as he continues to search for a sponsor for next season. The Japanese driver jokingly stated that a victory this weekend would greatly assist his plight in retaining his drive with Sauber, but admitted a position with a top team in 2014 might well become his main priority.

“My future? Well, if I could win it would be fantastic,” quipped Kamui Kobayashi. “This is Formula 1. I need to work it out. Overall I think there is a bigger chance of a top team in 2014. We’ll see. I’m working very hard to get a sponsor. At the moment I think it’s very difficult to say anything about the future,” he added. “If I say too much there is no point for them to announce anything. I don’t know what they want to announce.”

Despite Kamui Kobayashi remaining coy on his future in Formula 1, team-mate Sergio Perez seems to have spilt the beans on the current affairs at Sauber. Both drivers will be hoping to remain focused for the final race of the season, as they continue to reel in Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Sergio Perez Preparing For Final Race With Sauber At Brazil

Sergio Perez is preparing for his final race as a Sauber driver at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, before the Mexican star moves to McLaren next season to replace the Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton for 2013. Perez has enjoyed his most competitive season so far in F1 this year, and aims to end his time with Sauber on a high.

With Lewis Hamilton set to leave McLaren for Mercedes next season, the Woking-based outfit have signed Sergio Perez as his replacement. Despite mixed opinions throughout the paddock on the team’s decision to sign such a young and relatively inexperienced driver, both Perez and McLaren remain confident of a successful and prosperous partnership.

Sergio Perez has finished on the podium three times so far this season, however he has endured a recent run of uncompetitive results proceedings his announcement with McLaren for 2013. Since the Singapore Grand Prix back in September, Perez has failed to finish within the points and has retired from two of the last five races. However, the 22-year-old Mexican remains confident he can end the season in positive fashion at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

“The Brazilian Grand Prix will be the last race of a very long season that has seen a lot of ups and downs, and it will be a very special event for me as it is the last race I will drive for my team of Sauber before I leave.” Explained Sergio Perez, “It is a great team and I want to thank everybody for everything they have done for me over the last two years. I am sure it will be very emotional for me in Interlagos. The best way to say thank you, of course, would be a great result and to beat the team in front of us. This is my target. I believe and I hope our car should be good enough there for a strong top ten position.”

With both Sauber and Mercedes failing to score any points at the United States Grand Prix last time out, the gap between the two teams in the Constructors’ Championship remains at 12 points. The Hinwil-based outfit are adamant they can catch Mercedes for fifth in the Championship, with a double-points finish this weekend at Sao Paulo.

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

Sergio Perez Suffered From Brake Issues During United States GP

Sergio Perez was struck with a brake issue during the United States Grand Prix, which presented the Mexican driver with a difficult remainder of the race after initially enjoying a competitive opening stint. Perez started the race from 15th, and progressed as high as 7th before making his one and only pit stop.

Despite steadily progressing through the field during the early stages of the race, Sergio Perez discovered an issue with his brake pedal around Lap 10, and began to loose time in every corner thereafter as the issue plagued his speed. After his one and only pit stop, the Mexican driver was relegated back down the order, and only just missed out on scoring points by finishing in 11th position.

“My start worked really well and the first laps were good too.” Explained Sergio Perez, “I had a good pace, and the car was really quick, but then around lap ten I had a problem with the brakes. The pedal became very long and I had big difficulties before every corner. This cost a lot of time and so we didn’t manage to get any points here. Now we will get ourselves together for the final attempt to improve to fifth place in the Constructors’ World Championship next week.”

Kamui Kobayashi endured an equally frustrating United States Grand Prix, with the Japanese driver struggling to heat up the tyres and therefore remained stuck towards the rear of the midfield. Since Kobayashi’s illustrious 3rd place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, Sauber have only managed to finish in the points once at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Kobayashi once again, who finished 6th. The Swiss outfit remain focused, however, in catching Mercedes for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship at the final race at Brazil next weekend.

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

No Further Action On Sergio Perez And Charles Pic Practice Incident

The race stewards have confirmed that there will be no further action against either Sergio Perez or Charles Pic after their coming together during the final practice session of the weekend earlier today. The Mexican driver has already incurred a reprimand for blocking Timo Glock this weekend, and was lucky to escape without a penalty.

As Sergio Perez caught Charles Pic during the final practice session of the weekend, the Mexican driver tried an overtake on the rookie which resulted in contact between the two. Although the incident was not major, Perez picked up front wing damage on his Sauber and Pic received minor floor damage which momentarily impeded his progress throughout the session.

Immediately after the incident, there was mixed emotions throughout the paddock as to who was in the wrong, however the stewards have decided that no driver was in the wrong and that a penalty will not be forthcoming to either Sergio Perez or Charles Pic. It is expected that drivers could find themselves in a similar position during qualifying through Turns 3, 4, 5 and 6. Due to the high speeds through this section of the circuit, the closing speeds between the various cars is increased.

Since being signed at McLaren, Sergio Perez has failed to score a single World Championship point, and has recently come under the spotlight largely due to his questionable driving. With Perez regarding this race as his home Grand Prix, he will unarguably be striving to succeed throughout qualifying and the race.

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Sergio Perez Targeting Championship Glory With McLaren

Sergio Perez has confirmed that he is targeting Championship success with McLaren immediately, ahead of his departure from Sauber after this season as the replacement of Lewis Hamilton at the Woking-based outfit. The Mexican driver will team-mate Jenson Button next season, as Hamilton moves to Mercedes.

Despite mixed opinions with regards to McLaren’s decision to replace Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez, with even Martin Whitmarsh confirming doubts over his decision in signing the young Mexican, Sergio Perez is remaining focused on immediately winning races for McLaren. Throughout the 2012 season, Perez has enjoyed several sensational podium finishes for Sauber, which included a near-victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the start of the season.

It’s unarguably feasible that if Sergio Perez starts next season with McLaren with as much competitiveness witnessed at the start of this season, he will definitely be a contender for victory should McLaren design another race-winning machine. It’s fair to say McLaren could and should have won several more races this season, however technical gremlins have plagued them throughout. Should these issues be ironed out for next season, Sergio Perez and Jenson Button could well be a formidable pairing at McLaren.

“My target straight away is to win the World Championship,” insisted Sergio Perez to CNN. “I need to get wins to do that. I know it will be very hard to win the Championship but it’s the challenge I want.”

With Lewis Hamilton departing from McLaren at the end of the season, Jenson Button will undoubtedly assume the lead driver role within the team. Sergio Perez is looking forward to racing alongside the 2009 World Champion, and has admitted that he is a tough driver to beat.

“I’ve spoken to Jenson a bit since I signed for McLaren,” continued Sergio Perez. “He seems to be a great guy and I think he’ll be good fun as a team-mate. He’s a very tough guy to beat and is very experienced. He’s one of the fastest guys out there.”

Despite Sergio Perez’s insistence that he aims to start his career at McLaren in winning form, many still continue to believe McLaren have made a mistake in replacing someone like Lewis Hamilton with a driver still relatively new to the world of Formula 1. If anything, these comments will surely only serve as fuel for Perez to silence his critics once the action gets underway next March at Melbourne.

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Sergio Perez Regarding United States Grand Prix As Home Race

Sergio Perez is treating next weekend’s United States Grand Prix as a home race, seeing as the Texas venue will be the closest to his home town in Guadalajara for eight years. Mexico last hosted a Formula 1 event back in 1992 at Mexico City, a race which was won by Nigel Mansell.

With Sergio Perez enjoying a tremendously competitive 2012 season with Sauber, the Mexican driver is hopeful that many Mexicans will journey to the brand-new Circuit of the Americas for the inaugural race next weekend. Sergio Perez is preparing to start his final two races for Sauber, before switching to McLaren to replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2013 season.

“I am very much looking forward to this race!” Enthused Sergio Perez, “I think it is the closest race for eight years for me to my home town of Guadalajara. I expect many Mexican Formula One fans to attend and this, for sure, will give me an extra boost. Of course I also hope there will be a Mexican Grand Prix one day, because I am aware of the great enthusiasm for Formula One in my country, but for now I regard the race in Austin as my home Grand Prix.”

The United States Grand Prix will be a leap into the great unknown for all of the 24 drivers next weekend, as they strive to learn the brand-new state-of-the-art Circuit of the Americas quickly throughout the due course of the race weekend. However, Sergio Perez has no worries he’ll be able to quickly learn the new circuit, after spending the majority of his debut season last year learning many of the circuits on the calendar.

“I have no issues about learning new tracks quickly.” Explained Sergio Perez, “In my first Formula One season, which was only last year, I had many tracks to learn. I am sure we will have a good crowd there and I definitely want to put in a strong result for both the Sauber F1 Team and myself.”

Sauber are currently only 12 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors Championship, and remain confident they can catch and overtake the German marque in the remaining two races. Mercedes have failed to score a single World Championship point since the Singapore Grand Prix, and Sauber are hoping to capitalize on this lack of consistency from their nearest competitors.

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG