Can Red Bull beat Mercedes? "They are very, very strong here"

The first day in Sochi is not going smoothly for Sergio Perez. During FP2 he finished only in the eleventh position.

"There is potential in the car, now we have to make sure we do well," Perez is quoted on Motorsport-Magazin.com. "I think sector one and sector two looked very good for me. In sector three I had some problems." Things still didn't go well in FP2 either, as Perez was on P9 there.

Since 2014, Mercedes has been the strongest team at the Russian Grand Prix every year. Not once have they lost the race here. Last year, Red Bull Racing only finished on the podium for the first time in Sochi. Rain is predicted during tomorrow's qualifying session, which may even move the session.

Perez does not sound optimistic when asked if he thinks he can match Mercedes here. "They are very, very strong here. Hopefully, we can put a little pressure on them, qualify close to them, that would be ideal," said the Mexican.