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2023 FIA Formula One World Championship
2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain International Circuit
Sakhir, Bahrain
Sunday, 5 March 2023
Red Bull Racing's Sergio Perez will be targeting a strong start when the F1 season gets underway with the
Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 5.
Both the Mexican and team-mate Max Verstappen failed to finish the race in Sakhir last year due to mechanical issues which plagued the RB18 car early on.
Image copyright: Getty Images
However, Perez went on to enjoy an impressive season, winning the Monaco Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix, while claiming another nine podium finishes.
His relationship with Verstappen became strained after an incident in Monaco and the Dutchman ignored team orders on numerous occasions to help 'Checo' secure second place in the drivers' standings.
Perez needed to finish ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the final race of 2022 to take second spot overall but Verstappen refused to let him pass in the Brazilian Grand Prix and he came up three points short in the end after getting P3, with the Monegasque coming in second.
The 33-year-old believes Red Bull will be even stronger this year after doing a "tremendous job" in the off-season to make improvements to the new RB19 car.
"I think the team has done a tremendous job. Back in Milton Keynes, all the factory has been working really hard over the winter. We've certainly got a good base car," he said.
"I think we will only find out next weekend where we really are. I think on these days we don't get to see the full picture. We want to be up there.
"It will be an important weekend, conditions are going to be a bit similar to what we just experienced tonight, so it will be great to start the season much stronger than we did last year."
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix results:
Winner: Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Second Place: Carlos Sainz - Ferrari
Third Place: Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
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