Perez on Austria: 'Like racing with nature'

Sergio Perez heads to Austria with a spirit of revenge, determined  to overcome his bitter Baku frustrations and put himself back in the saddle at the Red Bull Ring.

The Mexican retired from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after sustaining damage during his run-in with Force India team mate Esteban Ocon.

Perez was left fuming after the incident, but a calmer head has now prevailed.

"I’m still feeling disappointed about the lost opportunity in Baku, but at the same time I’m feeling positive about the performance level we showed," Perez said in the team's Austrian GP preview.

"We were fighting at the front and the car was working well. It’s just a shame my race ended early because there was a great chance of finishing on the podium.

"I think we can be just as competitive in Austria and pick up some good points this weekend."

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Compared to the last three venues, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg requires a focus on higher speed, grip-limited corners, but with good straight-line speed a necessity for overtaking.

Built on the side of a steep hill, the track includes significant elevation changes  throughout a lap, which also happens to be one of the shortest on the calendar, both in distance and time.

"The circuit in Austria is in a really beautiful place. You feel like you are racing with nature," adds Perez.

"When you look at a map of the track it looks like a simple lap, but it’s not as easy as you think. There are lots of elevation changes and some difficult sections.

"It’s really important to carry the speed through the corners so you don’t lose time down the long straights.

"The final corner is off-camber so it’s easy to run wide and lose time there."
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