Perez: More to come from Force India upgrades in Sochi

Sergio Perez feels there is more potential for Force India to unlock from the significant upgrade for its VJM11 car brought to the last Formula 1 race in Singapore heading into this weekend's Russian Grand Prix.

Force India was forced to delay a sizeable update package scheduled for the Belgian Grand Prix in August due to financial difficulties that were eventually resolved following its takeover by a new consortium.

The new package debuted in Singapore earlier this month, only for the team to fail to score any points as Esteban Ocon crashed out on the opening lap following contact with teammate Sergio Perez. Perez would go on to finish the race 16th after a later incident with Sergey Sirotkin that saw the Mexican receive a penalty.

Despite the disappointing debut for the new parts, Perez is confident of a better showing in Sochi this weekend, where he finished on the podium for Force India in 2015.

“I was very disappointed with the result in Singapore, but dealing with difficult days is part of the job. I have turned the page already and I am looking forward to Sochi, where I am sure the outcome will be very different,” Perez said.

“The Russian Grand Prix brings up some really great memories from three years ago, when I finished on the podium. It was an unexpected result, in a way, and I remember the struggle at the end of the race because I had nothing left of my tyres. It was a fantastic day for us.

“I am feeling positive about this weekend and I think we’ll be competitive. Singapore did not bring us the result we expected but the performance and balance of the car were very good. If we can carry that pace forward to Sochi, we should expect a strong result.

“I think the new upgrades still have some potential to unlock and hopefully we will be able to do so in Russia.”