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Sergio Perez is in the enviable position of being the leading Red Bull driver in the standings at the moment. Although that is more of a result of Max Verstappen's multiple DNFs than anything else, it still brings a sense of confidence to the Mexican's start to the season.
Speaking about the race at Imola in the Red Bull preview, Perez claimed he was looking forward to the event. Revealing that he was especially interested in what kind of impact rain could have on the performance of the cars, he said:
“We go back to the Sprint format this weekend, and I will be aiming to pick up the most points possible. That all comes from a good qualifying performance on Friday, and I hope to hook it up again in Italy. It looks like it could rain this weekend, so that will play a part and I want to learn from the performance I had in Imola in the wet last season and continue to improve in all areas.”
The Red Bull driver expressed that he was looking forward to getting back in the car after a P2 finish in the last race, saying:
“I am looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend. It was a mixed few days in Australia for the team, but for me, I managed another consistent weekend, after my pole and fourth place in Jeddah. I am pleased with how I have been performing so far, and getting on the podium for the first time this season in Melbourne was a step in the right direction, but I won’t stop there. I need and want to be there weekly for the team and for myself.”
Sergio Perez's teammate Max Verstappen feels FP1 will be crucial
Sergio Perez's teammate and last year's winner Max Verstappen feels that FP1 is going to be crucial this weekend. With the sprint race format making a return, the teams realistically get only one session to nail everything before Friday's qualifying.
The reigning world champion said:
“I’m looking forward to racing again this weekend in Imola. This is obviously the first Sprint race of the year, so it’s important to make the most of the first practice session, so we have a good understanding of where the set-up needs to be for qualifying on Friday.”
Max Verstappen currently trails Charles Leclerc by 46 points after three races and will be hoping for a turnaround this weekend.
