Sergio Perez says he needs to finish on the podium at all of the remaining grands prix after finishing runner-up to team-mate Max Verstappen at Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Perez opened the season with four podiums from the first five events – including two victories – but suffered a dip in qualifying form which compounded his results.
Perez claimed just a single podium – in Austria – across a run of five grands prix but followed up third in Hungary with second in Belgium.
“I really look forward to not leaving the podium anymore from now until the end of the year,” said Perez.
“It’s been a bit of a rough patch, but I think we overcome and we managed to score great points for the team.”
Perez started from the front row of the grid at Spa-Francorchamps and claimed the lead from Charles Leclerc on the opening lap.
Perez was overhauled by Verstappen and was unable to keep pace with the World Champion but was nonetheless encouraged by his performance.
“We were on the podium last weekend [in Hungary] and now, and I think, having these sort of races in clean air, is where you learn a lot and you make those steps in the coming races,” he said.
“My last few races have been a bit of… yeah, very hard to get a proper read on them, because the way you have to race with dirty air, and so on.
“That to me I think is where we’re going to be learning the most on that stint on free air and the second stint as well.”
Perez holds second in the championship with a 40-point buffer over Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
