Sergio Pérez reckons Force India can put on a competitive display in Monaco, after being encouraged by the gains made during the preceding event in Spain.
Force India focused its gains on addressing the inherent weaknesses of the VJM10, related to the rear end of the car, rather than concentrating on out-and-out performance.
Both Pérez and team-mate Esteban Ocon qualified in the top 10 and went on to profit from drama on the first lap to finish fourth and fifth, bringing home a 22-point haul for the team.
The result solidified fourth spot in the Constructors’ Championship for Force India and Pérez heads into the sixth round of the campaign upbeat, a year on from his podium in the Principality.
“I think we did a good step, we seemed to lack a bit of knowledge in Spain in terms [of the fact that] our competition had issues,” he said.
“In qualifying, we seemed to outperform massively our pace that we had shown all weekend long.
“So I think we’re still trying to understand as the upgrade was not just a package which you put on the car it was a detail of many things.
“I think in terms of pace we definitely did a good step, Barcelona is normally our weakest track so I think we’ve done a good step and I want to believe so.
“Monaco is a different track to the last one and we should be competitive here.”
Pérez also praised the manner in which Force India has maximised its performance across the opening five races of the season.
“When you look at our pace, where we are, I’m a point away from [Max] Verstappen and two or three from [Daniel] Ricciardo, with a car that is probably a second a lap quicker than us at every Grand Prix on average,” he commented.
“Definitely the team overdelivers with the pace we have.”
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