Perez sees stronger Red Bull in Sochi: 'Great hope to be ahead of Mercedes'

Sergio Perez joined Esteban Ocon for the pre-Russian Grand Prix press conference. Based on previous years, it seems Red Bull Racing will have a tough time beating Mercedes, but Perez is hopeful of a strong result.

The Mexican is optimistic about his team's chances, citing Monza as an example. He stresses that Red Bull have never been as strong at Monza in previous years, and that there have been big leaps forward.

He recognises that the circuit in Sochi has proved good for Mercedes, but is hopeful that he and Max Verstappen can compete. "Hopefully we can be ahead of them," Pérez said in the press conference to, among others Formel1.de.

How the weekend will go for Verstappen is still a big question mark. Red Bull want to wait for qualifying before they make a decision about an engine change. A grid penalty is inevitable for the Dutchman, but the question is whether it will be just three places or whether he will have to play catch-up from the back row.