Perez: Packed 2020 schedule a ‘big challenge’

Jamie Woodhouse
Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez had to miss the British Grand Prix after testing positive for coronavirus

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez believes it won’t be easy going from no racing to a packed 2020 schedule when the season gets underway.

Teams are now back to work after the FIA-enforced shutdown ended and are preparing for the first race on July 5 at the Red Bull Ring.

It is the first of eight rounds to be released for the European leg of the season, a run which sees only two weekends off up until the Italian Grand Prix at the start of September.

And Perez has no doubt that going from no action to intense racing will prove a “big challenge”.

“We actually started proper training [last week],” Perez told the F1 Nation podcast.

“We know that it’s going to be a big challenge to go straight back into racing.

“We’ve never spent so much time without the driving the cars. So physically, it’s going to be very demanding and I am working hard on that. I’m very happy that finally we have a date that we can go racing.

“Since I’m 12 or 11 I’ve never spent this much time at home. It’s been great… but of course, I miss my driving, I miss my adrenaline, the competition, my mates, the team.”

While Racing Point’s ‘pink Mercedes’ has caused quite a stir, it’s expected to be fast, which makes Perez even more excited to go racing in 2020.

“Obviously when you have a good car on your hands, you want to go racing, you want to be at the racetrack every weekend; it’s not that if you have a bad car the last thing you want to do is race,” he explained.

“[More than] the feeling if I can win or be in the podium, I want to compete, to have that feeling of qualifying, of racing… making sure I score the points, that feeling you have as a driver throughout the years is something I’m missing quite a lot.”

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1 and like our Facebook page.