Sergio Perez has had a profession yr within the 2022 System 1 season, his second with Crimson Bull, and signing an extension early has definitely helped.
Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen has already secured a second consecutive System 1 world championship this season, doing so with 4 races remaining on the 22-race 2022 schedule, however there’s nonetheless extra for the Milton Keynes-based group to battle for over the course of the season’s last 4 races.
Teammate Sergio Perez sits in second place within the driver standings, only one level forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and has an opportunity to finish Crimson Bull’s first ever 1-2 end within the standings.
His earlier career-best finishes within the standings are fourth place efforts from 2020 when he was nonetheless with Racing Level and from 2021 when he was in his first season with Crimson Bull.
One key to Sergio Perez’s success this season has been the truth that his future has lengthy been solidified.
In late 2020, he didn’t even know if he can be on the System 1 grid in 2021, and whereas he did land a journey with Crimson Bull, his contract wasn’t prolonged via 2022 till late summer season 2021. This yr, he signed a brand new deal — a multi-year extension — manner again within the spring.
Perez stated that the very fact he signed a brand new deal so early within the season was considerably of a weight lifted off his shoulders, because it allowed him to focus strictly on performing behind the wheel of the automotive.
“In a manner, definitely it was,” Perez informed Past the Flag. “It was huge to get that deal completed early sufficient so that you don’t waste any power on it.”
Whereas it hadn’t formally been introduced on the time, Perez apparently agreed to the brand new contract earlier than his rain-soaked Monaco Grand Prix victory again in Might, as he appeared to inform group principal Christian Horner that he “signed too quickly” throughout the podium ceremony.
He has since added one other victory, and that victory additionally got here in a rain-soaked road course race. He led each lap of the Singapore Grand Prix in early October.
Unsurprisingly, he feels that he’s as robust of a rain driver as he has ever been, however he was fast to provide credit score to the group for each victories.
“Definitely,” he acknowledged. “Definitely, in that regard, it was vital to maintain that momentum going. I feel each races have been nice by way of the technique calls. How we’ve been in a position to get the precise calls has been actually good.”
Whereas many have dubbed his Singapore Grand Prix as his greatest ever efficiency in a System 1 automotive, Sergio Perez is trying ahead.
“I at all times consider that my subsequent win shall be even higher,” he acknowledged. “Definitely, Singapore was very pleasant, however I actually stay up for extra in these coming races.”
Perez has performed a task in making the RB18 probably the most profitable automotive that Crimson Bull — and chief technical officer Adrian Newey — have ever produced, nevertheless it hasn’t been simple.
“Definitely, working all via it with the time we’ve got, with the quantity of hours we needed to put money into, that was actually essential and vital to ensure we bought the precise bundle within the automotive, that we might exploit the utmost out of it,” he defined. “That was actually vital.”
Whereas his apparent objective is to complete the season in second place within the driver standings, he needs to take action by profitable all 4 races remaining on the schedule.
“I wish to win the subsequent 4 races,” he stated. “That’s my pondering. I wish to go there and get the utmost out of those subsequent 4 races.”
The season’s last 4 races embody america Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (Sunday, October 23), the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (Sunday, October 30), the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos Circuit (Sunday, November 13), and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit (Sunday, November 20).
After all, if he needed to choose one to win, that will be the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix.
In six profession begins on the 17-turn, 2.674-mile (4.303-kilometer) highway course in Mexico Metropolis, Mexico, the 32-year-old Mexican owns a prime end of third place, that coming in his first season with Crimson Bull.
“Yeah, that will be a large dream for me!” he remarked.
Whereas Crimson Bull have all however locked up the constructor championship, which might be their first since 2013, Perez’s focus hasn’t but turned to 2023.
“Under no circumstances but,” he admitted. “I wish to end the season on a excessive. It’s essential for me and for our group of engineers to complete the season on a excessive and begin 2023 actually, actually robust.”