Sergio Perez has suggested that Force India’s development path in Formula 1 this season is being hindered by ongoing financial issues.
Force India holds sixth position in the Constructors’ Championship but the team’s future financially remains uncertain, a situation Perez says is being felt in terms of development.
“We were expecting more [development] to be honest,” said Perez.
“But I’m happy that we’re still in the fight with the midfield group. But we certainly were expecting more upgrades than we’re having at the moment.
“The quantity we expected to… I mean we had the upgrades, but there have been some issues financially that we just… They were held back, and given how close the midfield group is, it’s important that you try to bring as many as you can.”
When asked whether he felt the situation would improve, Perez said: “I hope so, I really hope so. I really hope that it can get better in the next coming races.
“There are no guarantees that things are going to turn around, and all of a sudden we will be in a better position. I just hope that things can be resolved quicker within the team and we can have upgrades soon.”
Perez feels that Force India could be in a position to regularly challenge Renault at the helm of Formula 1’s midfield – if it can bring its planned updates.
“At the moment, we were not able to bring the upgrade we were hoping to bring for this weekend that will probably get us there,” he said.
“I think Renault have been the most consistent in the midfield at the moment, but we’re not far from them. A step in performance will mean a lot.
“I don’t think they’re [Renault] dominating at the moment. They’re certainly the most consistent, right there at the top of the midfield, but it’s a long season ahead. If we’re able to bring some performance in the next couple of races, then it can change.”
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