Perez targeting success at turn 1 in Shanghai

Racing Point driver Sergio Perez says that success at Shangai could very well come down to nailing the first corner.

"When I think of China, I think of turn one," the 29-year-old Mexican said this week ahead of the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix.

"It’s a tricky corner: very long and it is difficult to be precise, so even the smallest mistake through there is costly and frustrating."

• Perez hails Stroll: Closer to me than any other team mate!

Not that the challenges end there, Perez was quick to add.

"It’s a very technical track generally," he continued. "It’s a front limited track, so you need to find a balance to get the front tyres working through the long and quick corners."

Despite the difficulties presented by the track, Perez is quick to confirm that Shanghai is a big favourite of his to visit as a venue.

“I enjoy every visit to Asia and Shanghai is a really cool city," he said. "We see some really enthusiastic fans and that gives me great energy for the weekend.

"I don’t get enough time to really explore the city, but I always try the local food!"

This weekend marks a milestone for Formula 1 as it will be the 1,000th race in the history of the championship. That's got drivers up and down pit lane reminiscing about some of their own memories of the sport over the years.

"I’ve been thinking about some of the races I remember watching when I was younger," said Perez. "The first race I attended as a fan was Indianapolis in 2002 when I was twelve years old. It was the prize after winning a karting race in Miami organised by Juan Pablo Montoya!

“As a driver, the most memorable F1 race for me was probably Malaysia 2012," he continued. "It was my second year in F1

"I finished on the podium in second place after a fantastic battle with Fernando Alonso. I watched a video of that race a few weeks ago and it’s still just as exciting today.

"The weather changed all the strategies and I was catching the Ferrari in the final laps. I think it was a great race for the fans.”

Perez would clearly like a race equally as good on Sunday. Last year he and his ten-team mate Esteban Ocon failed to finish in the top ten.

So far this year Racing point has at least managed to get a driver into the points in both races, and team boss Otmar Szafnauer is hoping that they can build on that in China.

“We head to China aiming to continue our run of points finishes," he said. "The Bahrain weekend was pretty challenging but I think we can be more competitive in Shanghai.

"We feel there is more to come from this current package, and I hope we can show that in China.”

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