Barcelona pre-season data 'not the most relevant' - Perez

Sergio Perez (MEX) Racing Point F1 Team.
© XPB 

Racing Point's Sergio Perez says the massive data collected by teams during pre-season testing won't be of significant value next weekend at Barcelona.

Buoyed by a productive sixth-place finish in Azerbaijan, Perez will be looking to sustain his momentum at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"The result in Baku was a big boost for us," said the Mexican ahead of next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"We were competitive all weekend and we got both cars home in the points. We have now scored points in every race so far this year and we need to keep up this momentum.

"I’m looking forward to racing in Barcelona. The early-season fly-away races are exciting, but it is nice to be back in Europe getting ready for some of the more traditional races.

"Of course, Barcelona is a track where we’ve already done so much testing and I don’t think there are any more secrets to discover from the track."

Indeed, there's isn't a crack in the tarmac or a bump in the road that is unknown to the teams and drivers, but that baseline knowledge won't provide a shortcut to a good set-up for race day insists Perez.

"Even after two weeks of winter testing in Barcelona, finding the right set-up for the race weekend remains a challenge," he says.

"The data you have from testing is not the most relevant and the temperatures will be very different.

"Completing a clean and tidy Friday is therefore really important to get the tyre data for the race.

"It’s also famous for being a track where overtaking is extremely difficult so you have to focus on really maximising qualifying."

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