Perez wants points at 'traditional and easier to overtake' Bahrain

A finish outside the top-ten has been a rare occurrence for Force India and Sergio Perez in the last couple of years, making the Mexican's target for points in Bahrain all the more compelling.

It was a low-key start to 2018 for the Silverstone-based outfit, Formula 1's top mid-field contender for the past two seasons.

Neither Perez nor team mate Esteban Ocon succeeded in finishing in the points in Melbourne, and that's a failure which Force India can't afford to repeat if it ambitions to keep its honorary 'best of the rest' title.

"We’ve got to be targeting points this weekend," insists Perez.

"Melbourne showed just how close all the teams are in the middle of the grid, so it’s especially important to have a clean weekend and maximise every session.

• 'Wide cars' not helping overtaking cause - Ricciardo

"The Bahrain track often creates good racing. I still remember the battle I had with my old teammate, Jenson Button, in 2013," he adds.

"The layout really allows you to race wheel-to-wheel at times. If you lose a position in turn one, you can fight back through turns two, three and four.

"It was difficult to overtake in Melbourne, but Bahrain should be a bit easier because it’s a more traditional track."

Looking beyond next week's race, Perez underlines the importance of development. The 28-year-old knows what's in the pipeline for the pink outfit however, and is confident performance shall ramp up.

"The development race will be very intense this year, but I know we have good things coming," says the Mexican.

"We need to do what we have done in the last few years by making improvements to the car at each race.

"We’ve already made a step forward since pre-season testing so we need to keep working in the same direction."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter