F1Weekly podcast # 783

CLARK AND NASIR ARE SO EXCITED WITH THE F1 SEASON STARTING THIS WEEKEND AND ALL THE POSSIBILITIES OF A GREAT FIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE SPEAR. WE ALSO BRING YOU AN INTERVIEW WITH INDYCAR DRIVER MAX CHILTON!

HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS FROM SERGIO PEREZ ON THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX…

Sergio Perez: It’s been such a long winter and I’m excited to be back in the car in Melbourne. I enjoyed some rest time at home with my family and my friends, but just a few weeks after Christmas I started missing being in the car. Australia is one of my favourite places to visit and definitely a cool place to start the season. Melbourne is a city I love: the fans are great and they make you feel really welcome. I am so happy to go there again.

I am ready to start a new chapter in the history of this team. I feel very strong both physically and mentally, and seeing the great spirit of our group of people gives me that extra bit of motivation. Last year was an exhausting one, on and especially off the track, but now I feel very relaxed. I worked a lot on my fitness throughout the winter because this season is going to be very long, all the way into December. I have to be ready for what is going to be a marathon.

The track in Melbourne is bumpy and very technical, as well as being quite narrow. It’s certainly a big challenge as the first race back after the break. Races in Melbourne tend to be unpredictable and that could give the opportunity for a special result. It’s a cool track to drive, especially when you’ve missed the thrill of racing for so long. It’s still too early to say where we will be in the pecking order, but the first weekend should give us some indications for the season ahead.

I am also looking forward to the on-track battles – winter testing showed me that the cars are losing less downforce when following closely, so that should help the show. So far, I think F1 has done a great job with the new rules, but we need to wait for the first race and for our first experience of racing with more cars around you and on similar pace. Hopefully the racing will live up to the promise.

Away from the track, I hope to find some time to see the country. I love Australian wildlife – it’s not just kangaroos and koalas, you know! It’s one of the most incredible places on Earth and every year I wish I had the time to explore a bit more.

Play Podcast: 03-12-19f1weekly783.mp3