Perez ready for second Red Bull year: 'Important that I stay consistent'

His contract runs until the end of 2022, so Perez will want to pull out all the stops to secure a contract extension at Red Bull next season. The first season was poor, but the 32-year-old driver played a crucial role in Verstappen's title victory in the closing stages. Now that Perez knows how they operate at Red Bull, he expects to perform better.

"I am looking forward to the new season, automatically you feel more settled going into your second year with a team. I feel more prepared because I now know exactly how the Team operate and the Oracle Red Bull Racing philosophy, so that makes a difference," he says in an official team press release.

Perez is ready for battle

Like Verstappen, Perez indicates that many things are still unknown at the start of the first Grand Prix weekend. Nobody knows where the teams are on the grid and who has built the fastest car this time. In any case, the Mexican knows what to focus on in 2022.

"Every team is in the same position starting the season, in that we don’t know the car as much because of the shakeup in regulations but we had a really good test, both in Bahrain and Barcelona. It will be interesting to see where everyone is come Sunday when the flag comes down and I think it will make for a good race. I am very excited for 2022 and I know the important thing is that I am consistent throughout the year - I am up for the fight."