Sergio Perez Exclusive Q&A
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Sergio Perez sat down with us last week to discuss some of the driving challenges of the 2013 F1® season and his expectations for the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix®. Below are some of the questions he answered during a private interview in Mexico City:
1. How does it feel to be a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver?
It feels great, even though we don’t have a competitive car for the moment, it is a great team and I am really proud to be working with them. They have treated me really well and they are always looking to win races no matter what, which is really important to my career.
2. Do you think the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team has the opportunity to achieve better results in the upcoming European tour?
Yes, we still have some work to do, as seen during previous races, but we certainly want to be racing for podiums.
3. What have you recently done to further develop the driving performance of the Vodafone Mercedes McLaren MP4-28?
I constantly provide feedback of how the car feels, we spend many hours on the simulator and my comments and feedback are important to the engineers so they can tweak the car accordingly.
4. Do you think the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 has the potential of giving you your first victory in F1 this year?
Yes, we have some work to do but I hope I am able to fight for a podium this year.
5. Are you anxiously waiting for the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix ®?
Yes, it’s a very special race for me because of the support I receive from the fans. It feels like a home race for me!
6. How was the overall atmosphere at Circuit of The Americas in 2012? Did you receive a lot of support from the fans during the race weekend?
It was great, the support that I received was amazing, I remember hearing the fans around the track cheering for me at the end of the race which really meant a lot to me.
7. What message do you have for the Mexican fan base that will travel to Austin to support you?
Thanks for your support and hope to see you in Austin this November 15-17 at the 2013 Formula 1® United States Grand Prix.
8. Who was your motoring hero growing up?
Ayrton Senna
9. Is it hard to learn all the functions from the steering wheel?
It takes couple of test days to learn exactly how they work
10. What are your thoughts on the new track in Austin Texas? What's the fastest you've gone on a track?
Its a really great track, the fastest is 350KM at Monza
11. Do you have some kind of "ritual" before a race? Like listening to a song, read a passage, etc.?
I always do different things of this kind before entering the car.
12. If you had the opportunity to live in a different F1 Decade, which one would it be?
The 90's with Ayrton Senna!
13. What has been the toughest thing to adapt to at McLaren?
Its difficult to adapt to a new team in general because every team works differently from each other.
Stay tuned for more exciting news from the CoTA team!
