Sergio Perez has expressed confidence that he is in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship this year.
After the opening three rounds of the 2023 campaign, Perez sits second in the Drivers’ standings, 14 points down on Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Verstappen has taken two wins so far, while Perez emerged victorious at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s rapid pace at the start of the 2023 campaign has led many to assume that it will be one of the two that secures the title this year.
During their stint together, which began in 2021, Verstappen has largely held the upper hand on Perez.
But when asked in Melbourne if he believes the title is within his grasp this year, the Mexican responded: “Yes, certainly.
“We’ve got a very strong car, a very strong package, a car I feel comfortable with and I‘m working well with and a car I also believe that in the direction we take with the development I can get the most out of it.
“I think that’s important to stay in the fight throughout the season. To have a car in which you can be competitive in whatever situation you are in.
“If I want to win the championship, I have to beat Max weekend-in, weekend-out. To keep this level of consistency throughout the season.”
Last year, Perez won two races while Verstappen took to the top step of the podium on 15 occasions as he dominated the field en route to his second F1 title.
Perez says that he doesn’t have a specific number of wins in mind to take the championship, but rather is backing himself to be consistent in order to beat his team-mate across the season.
“It’s hard to say [how many wins I need]. It’s all about consistency,” he said.
“You can win 15 races but if in the other races you just crash and have DNFs and so on, it’s not enough.
“I think it’s just reaching that level of consistency and taking it race by race.”
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