Perez outlines main target for 2023 F1 season

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Sergio Perez says he's heading into his third season with Red Bull with the main target of fighting for a race win at every race in 2023.

Perez was in the running last year for the runner-up spot in the Drivers' Championship, but the Mexican was beaten to second place by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Perez delivered two race wins to his team last year – in Monaco and in Singapore – but that track record pales in comparison to teammate Max Verstappen's 15 wins in 2022.

Nevertheless, the 33-year-old isn't approaching this year's campaign believing that he'll once again be playing second fiddle to the Dutchman. On the contrary.

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"I want to maximise the car potential, and I want to be fighting for the win every weekend," he explained.

"I'm really working hard for it, and that's my main target."

As teams head into their second year under the sport's new technical regulations, everyone has a better understanding of the aero characteristics of ground effects, which could entail tighter competition among F1's front-runners.

That means that Ferrari and Mercedes are likely to challenge Red Bull for supremacy in 2023. But Perez won't go out on a limb and predict the running order in Bahrain next month.

"It's really hard to know at the moment," Perez commented.

"Mercedes [were] very competitive towards the end of the season, similar [to] Ferrari, so I will expect them to be up there.

"Obviously, there are some midfield teams that are making big steps over the winter, so we'll see. We'll see once we are in Bahrain."

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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.