Perez returns to scene of ‘happy’ Russian GP podium

After three frustrating races, Sergio Perez seeks to get his 2016 campaign under way during this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, with the Force India driver reminiscing “happy memories” from last year’s podium.

Having cleverly managed his tyres around Sochi Autodrom, Perez entered the closing stages of the 2015 edition in third position.

The Mexican tried to withstand intense pressure from Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen but was ultimately powerless to defend against the Finnish pair on fresher rubber. However, the Williams and Ferrari then collided in a last-lap twist, which allowed Perez back through.

“Going back to Sochi brings back happy memories from our podium last year,” the 26-year-old said. “I really like the track and they did a good job with the layout. I think every driver enjoys turn three because it’s an unusual corner with high energies and a long duration. You can take it flat, but it’s the one corner on the track which really takes the life from your tyres.

“The DRS effect in Russia is quite big, but it’s still difficult to overtake there. The layout is quite similar to Abu Dhabi and Singapore because of the number of low-speed and medium-speed corners, and it reminds me of a street circuit.”

Given its late 2015 form, Force India was tipped as a dark horse threat ahead of the current campaign, with its VJM09 an evolution of the competitive B-spec car introduced halfway through the season last year.

Instead, the Silverstone-based outfit has experienced a challenging start so far and seen the likes of Haas and Toro Rosso leapfrog it in the pecking order. But Perez remains confident his team can turn the tide like it did 12 months ago.

“I think we can be competitive this weekend. We didn’t get things right in China and just missed out on points, so we need to concentrate on improving our race pace.

“It’s often those difficult weekends where you learn the most and see where you can improve, so I’m confident we can be in better shape this weekend.”

Perez and team-mate Nico Hulkenberg will both celebrate their 100th grand prix starts this weekend in Sochi.

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