F1 | Sergio Perez ‘’can already feel the potential’’ of the RB16B
Formula One’s newest Grand Prix winner said he had a ‘’good day’’ at the wheel of Red Bull’s 2021 challenger.
Saturday saw the turn of Sergio Perez to drive the RB16B in testing for the first time as the Mexican continues to learn all the procedures and to get comfortable with his new team.
There was no headline chasing times from Red Bull as F1’s newest Grand Prix winner focused on longer runs on the C2 tyre. His best time for P8 was +1.393s off the quickest one set by Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. Perez also logged a very respectable 117 laps during Day Two.
Checo believes he’s already feeling the potential of the RB16B and is looking forward to doing more laps during the morning session on Sunday.
“It was great to do a full day of testing in the RB16B and even though conditions are very tricky out there we got through plenty of work and there is plenty of development to come,” he said.
“It’s great to be working with the team and I’m getting more and more used to things – I can already feel the potential.
“I have the morning tomorrow in the car, so I’m looking forward to getting in some more laps.”
Perez did have a small scare during the PM session as parts of his engine cover fell off whilst pulling out of Nicholas Latifi’s slipstream heading down towards T1. However, he managed to return to the track before the day ended.
Amazingly, he said he couldn’t feel it when it occurred.
“As you saw on the TV, I couldn’t feel when that happened, just the car felt a bit more difficult, but other than that I think the team is sorting it out, we didn’t lose much track time actually, was the same for everyone because there was a red flag, unfortunately for the others.
“Overall given that we lost some track time earlier in the morning I think overall it has been a good day, conditions are very tricky out there, very different to yesterday, so yeah plenty of work and developing to do from here on.”
Checo's bodywork really said: Send it 🚀#F1 #F1Testing @redbullracing @SChecoPerez pic.twitter.com/suv2RymgYI
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2021
Contento de haber vuelto a la pista y sentir el potencial de este coche.
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) March 13, 2021
El tiempo es limitado mañana, pero vamos con todo para cerrar muy fuerte nuestra pretemporada.#ChargeOn #RedBullRacing#ChecoRedBu11 pic.twitter.com/o9iPEajj1V
