BMW Sauber’s new driver Sergio Perez reflects on his goals for the future from Abu Dhabi
With the young driver test in Abu Dhabi over, Mexican racer Sergio Perez met with reporters from the Formula 1 official website this week in Abu Dhabi, confirming that he will race for BMW Sauber in the coming 2011 Grand Prix season.
Perez told the Formula 1 site that he has dreamed of racing in Formula 1 cars since the age of six, when he used to go go-karting with his father and brother in Mexico. “It was always my aim to make it into Formula One and I always knew I had to sacrifice
things. I knew I had to leave my country and my family and make my own life in Europe at a very young age.”
Speculating on his goals for the future, the racer said that he hopes to perform well in his first official Formula 1 event of next season. "I have a few months now to get ready for my first F1 event and I will use that time very carefully.”
Saying that he feels stronger both mentally and physically since the young driver test, Perez told the F1 site that his work ethic has improved dramatically over the course of the season.
The driver said in the interview that the fervour of support he has received from his fans in Mexico has been a motivating factor when he competes. “I love Mexico and the Mexicans love racing,” he said, concluding that the high expectations back home propel
him to achieve more, and hopefully to succeed in his upcoming career with Formula 1 in Europe.
Perez remains thankful for the support he has received from the Slim family, particularly Carlos Slim Junior, who signed him on at the tender age of 14. He told F1 that Slim has been like a second father to him, and noted that he has always been there for
him as a friend and mentor. “Sometimes he was even angry when things didn’t go well and he guided me in good directions,” he told the site.
Admitting that Formula 1 can be difficult because of complicated procedures, larger teams and having to give feedback to various engineers at the same time, Perez said that he is looking forward to the challenge, “…everything is a big step up,” he said.
After completing what analysts have called a positive GP2 season, Perez looks forward to working with Formula 1 cars. “The biggest difference is on braking, the lateral forces. And the grip level of the car is just unbelievably high compared to a GP2 car.”
Excited to be joining the BMW Sauber team, Perez said that the team has already provided him with ample support and training. Noting the team’s reputation for providing good back up and training for Formula 1 newcomers, he is confident that he will do well
in next year’s Grand Prix as a result. “This is a very good team for me, I am very happy to be with them and I feel already at home.”
According to Perez, having a contract with a major team is a turning point in his career, because it removes a lot of the pressure of having to qualify as an independent. He hopes that he will now be able to concentrate solely on improving his skills as
a racer.
Having already gained some experience in tyre testing in F3 and GP2, Perez isn’t too worried about being thrown into the upcoming tyre tests with Pirelli, which he joins on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The racer says that he plans to gain as much experience as he
can at the event, and is looking forward to comparing the new Pirelli tyres with the Bridgestone tyres of this past season.
As next season’s hot new addition to the Formula 1 pack, Perez says that he plans to spend most of his spare time over the break training with engineers and team mates, as he prepares himself both mentally and physically for the upcoming season.
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