Sergio Perez heads to 'a special place' in F1 history

©WRI2

A strong showing in Spa brought a well-deserved 5th place to Force India's Sergio Perez who finished just a few seconds adrift from team mate Nico Hulkenberg at the classic Ardennes circuit.

On their own merit, the Force India drivers now appear as solid top 6 contenders albeit still at a fair distance from the leaders at Mercedes.

Perez is banking on another good opportunity to race at the upper end of the field next weekend at Monza and help consolidate his team's fourth place in the constructor's standings at what of his favourite venues.

"Italy is one of my favourite places: the people are very warm and welcoming, and they’re absolutely crazy for Formula One," says Perez.

"The passion you see from the Italian fans reminds me of the atmosphere we saw in Mexico. There’s so much support; everyone is chanting and waving flags and there are so many people asking us for a photo when we arrive at or leave the track.

Italy has always been an important country for Sergio Perez who actually carries a picture of Pope Jean-Paul II in his car when he races, having had the honour of meeting the Catholic icon with his family when he was just a child.

The Mexican's best result at Monza is an outstanding second place achieved with Sauber back in 2012.

"I have great memories from Monza and it’s where I’ve had some of my best races. When I was racing in F3, I had the best weekend of my career there: I started 14th in both races and went on to win both.

"I scored a podium there in F1 and I’ve always had a special relationship with the track. It’s not just what happens at the venue – I have a lot of good friends living nearby and it’s just a very enjoyable experience."

Technical snapshot - Spa-Francorchamps

With all its past glory and tragedy, just like Spa, Monza's incredible history isn't lost on the Force India stalwart. And neither are the tracks ultra-fast specific attributes.

"As a fan of our sport, I know Monza has a special place in the history of Formula One. It’s one of the circuits where F1 should always race.

"It’s so incredibly fast and the key to a quick lap is to be good under braking and have good traction out of the corners.

"You brake really hard at the end of the straights and the car moves a lot: you run with very little wing and having a good balance is very important.

"You feel the lightness of the car in every corner because you’ve got so little aero load and it’s even hard to keep the steering wheel level on the straights.

"The two Lesmo corners are crucial: you need to be stable under braking and control your traction – get wheelspin out of the corner and you’ll destroy your tyres.

"Then you have the Parabolica: it lost a little of its challenge with the tarmac run-off but you still need to be very precise and use the very last inch of track in this interesting corner."

Belgian Grand Prix - quotes of the week

F1i's driver ratings - Spa-Francorchamps

RACE REPORT: Rosberg wins at Spa as Hamilton recovers to third

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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.