Perez goes hungry to help overweight Force India!

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Force India asked its drivers to lose weight between the end of pre-season testing and the run-up to the Australian Grand Prix, and Sergio Perez complied.

After building up muscle and body mass in the gym over the winter, much to his chagrin Sergio Perez was told to lose a few pounds to help compensate for the team's slightly heavy VJM10 car.

"I have tried so hard to lose weight in the last couple of weeks since Barcelona," said Perez, who has lost more than two kilos in the last couple of weeks.

"Obviously I increased my weight from last year purely by training harder, putting on more muscle, but I was on an extreme diet all last week and still now until Saturday [I will do the same].

"I am all the time very hungry. As much weight as I can lose, the better it will be for us."

Sergio Perez longing to 'go racing again'

Perez said the team will evaluate the car's weight issue in the coming days in order to determine if more weight loss shall be warranted. The "hungry" Mexican driver sure hopes not.

"We haven’t weighed the car actually, because in testing you have a lot of sensors and things on the car," he said.

"Right now, considering that I lose two kilos or three since Barcelona, then probably we might be quite close.

"I think the weight, sooner or later we will be on it. If not this weekend, then latest by Bahrain, so I don’t think that is a big issue."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.