Sergio Perez referred to as it “a dream come true” to drive a Crimson Bull Components 1 automotive for the primary time after finishing his first outing for the staff at Silverstone.
Following his winter change from Racing Level, Sakhir Grand Prix winner Perez hit the monitor for the primary time in a Crimson Bull automotive on Tuesday as a part of his pre-season preparations.
Perez drove a 2019-spec Crimson Bull RB15 automotive throughout a personal take a look at at Silverstone earlier than he samples the 2021 RB16B during a filming day shakedown on Wednesday.
Though Perez has been working onerous with the Crimson Bull staff at its Milton Keynes manufacturing unit in latest weeks and working in its simulator, he was delighted to get on-track for the primary time.
“It has been a tremendous day, my first day with Crimson Bull Racing,” Perez mentioned.
“To have a look at my identify on the automotive, it is one thing extraordinarily particular and one thing that’s undoubtedly a dream come true.
“I’ve to say that I am happy with the progress we have made by way of feeling a bit extra snug. Clearly I have been driving in a automotive for seven years, in a cockpit, in a seat, with sure pedals, so simply positioning your self, it is fairly a problem to get on prime of.
“We’re working onerous. We undoubtedly made good steps in that, and I’ve to say that for the primary day, I felt very snug.”
Perez was signed by Crimson Bull off the again of a massively spectacular 2020 season that noticed the Mexican end fourth within the drivers’ championship and rating his maiden grand prix victory.
The transfer to a front-running staff comes after a seven-season spell with the Racing Level squad, making the adjustments all of the extra noticeable for Perez.
“It is nonetheless a Components 1 automotive ultimately, however the seat place is completely different, [as is] the steering wheel, the grip, the buttons, the procedures, the facility unit, the facility supply, the torque,” Perez defined.
PLUS: What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
“We have completed a variety of preparation, so many days within the simulator, on the manufacturing unit, with the controls, getting on prime of the whole lot. I’ve to say that I am very happy with how my first day went, as a result of I used to be on prime of all of the procedures, clearly bettering and studying from them.
“However I feel the preparation that we did as much as this take a look at day has been good. I feel it has been very useful to have this primary day with the staff.”
After splitting filming day duties with new team-mate Max Verstappen on Wednesday at Silverstone, Perez will subsequent pattern the 2021 automotive initially of pre-season testing in Bahrain subsequent month.
However with simply three days cut up between the drivers earlier than the beginning of the brand new season, Perez mentioned added take a look at days even in older equipment was extraordinarily helpful.
“It’s extremely, excellent to get nowadays with the staff, to get to know my boys, to get to know the engineers, simply to have a extra fluid dialog,” Perez mentioned.
“The best way I clarify the automotive is completely different to what they have been used to, vice-versa as effectively. Getting snug within the cockpit is necessary, so after we get to Bahrain, I will simply give attention to getting the efficiency proper.
“With a day and a half within the automotive, it is actually nothing. So the extra we will get completed right here, the higher we can be ready for the primary take a look at in Bahrain.”