"You underestimate those things" - Sergio Perez on challenges of changing F1 teams

Sergio Perez will feature in his 12th F1 season in 2022 and is set to partner world champion Max Verstappen for a second year at Red Bull.

The Mexican, who has driven for four different teams, revealed that changing teams comes with a significant set of challenges and highlighted the importance of quickly adopting a driving style that suits the team and the car.

Getting accustomed to a team's distinct design and company philosophy is an underestimated challenge that drivers face in new teams, he said.

As reported by Autosport, Perez described the struggles of switching teams:

"Driving a different power unit, it’s a completely different task. Driving a completely different philosophy of cars, high rake versus low rake, it’s a completely different task. And the way you approach things is just extremely different."

He made his debut with Sauber in 2011 and moved to McLaren for the 2013 season to partner former world champion Jenson Button. After visibly struggling, Perez lost his seat to Kevin Magnussen and joined Force India in 2014. When team ownership changed in 2018, the 31-year-old stayed with the team that came to be known as Racing Point, until the end of 2020.

"That’s a very different picture" - Sergio Perez on upcoming season

Perez had a rocky first year with Red Bull in 2021. However, his impressive defense against Lewis Hamilton on several occasions that eventually helped team-mate Verstappen bag his debut championship allowed the Mexican to secure his seat in the Austrian team for a second year.

Describing his approach for the 2022 season, Perez stated:

"We already have a baseline we can work from and improve that one, so that makes a huge difference. I already know the people. I already know who to ask what, and how to get the most out of every single individual around me. So that’s a very different picture."

The team missed out on the constructors championship in 2021 largely due to Perez's inconsistency. However, after gaining sufficient comfort with the team, he is expected to come back stronger this year.

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