Perez sits t⛦hird in the drivers’ championship after the opening eight rounds in 2021, winning the Azಌerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Mexican’s form alongside Max Verstappen has allowed Red Bull to establish a comfortable 40-point lead in the𒁏 constructors’ championship over Mercedes. 

Reflecting on his time with Red Bu🍰ll so far ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Perez concedes that ▨he "hoped for more". 

"I’ve found i﷽t harder than expected, the change of team," Perez said. "The fact that I came to such a different team in terms of driving a unique car and so on. It was a big change so it to🌠ok me longer than expected to get up to speed. 

"I am just getting better. I wouldn’t like to do a number yet. Obviously, I hoped for more by now but still the season is 🐓very long. Ask me the question in five races time."

Perez is confident of making another step forward in the next five races as he looks to consolidꦗate third in the championship ahead of Lando🌳 Norris and Valtteri Bottas.

"We all know in this business how good Max is," Perez a𒈔dded. "He delivers extremely at a very high level since FP1. I am more focused on my side, on trying to get fully comfortable with things, fully up to speed with driving the car. It was just a very different world to what I was used to and I think the fact that I moved t💃eams from teams that are similar to others but I went to another extreme. 

"I think that made it a bit harder. I am getting there, I think every singlඣe weekend we see good improvement. I see no reason why I can’t get any better in the next five races, for example, to do another step. I am happy with my progression so far, with my level that I am delivering at but obviously, it’s not enough and I want more than that."

It’s the first time in Perez’s 10-year F1 career that he’s had a ca꧑r capable of challenging at the front, having driven for midfieꦇld teams like Sauber, Force India/Racing Point and McLaren - when it was struggling in 2013. 

Perez ex🔯plained how racing drivers of Hamilton and Verstappen’s calibre on a consistent🧸 basis has allowed him to improve and take his game to the next level.

"It’s obviously a great boost of motivation throughout the season to come to a race and you kn꧂ow if you deliver to your maximum you can end up winning a race, you have that opportunity," Perez explained. "Also the pressure is on you, you know that you have to deliver to a very high level. 

"You ไare competing against the very, very best drivers, against a very top team like Mercedes so yeah the level of delivering, it’s to a new level. Every single p꧋oint and the way the team works, trying to maximise every single performance point is very important. You are into the next level, and racing for example my race that I had with Hamilton, literally against him, I was fortunate enough to see how good he is. 

"The way he 🎃pushes you, at the time that he does push you and when he saves his tyres. Obviously a very, very intelligent guy - the same to Ma🥂x. Racing these drivers at this level definitely takes you to a new level."