Perez concedes "heavier" 2022 cars will take "a lot" to master

Sergio Perez has conceded it will take "a lot" to master this year's radically altered F1 cars following a period of relative stability in the regulations.

F1 closed a chapter on its aerodynamic rule book following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, with fans now eagerly awaiting a first look at how the 10 teams have interpreted the all-new directives.

Although F1 released a show car example ahead of the British GP, it was described at the time as a basic interpretation.

Asked in an end-of-season interview, including GPFans, if the new cars would require a new approach from drivers, Perez said: "Yes. I've driven the car and I think it's going to be very different, of course.

"The cars are a lot heavier than where they are now, so definitely, yes, [it] takes a lot."

After moving to Red Bull from Racing Point, now Aston Martin, ahead of last season, Perez is no stranger to having to adapt to a new design philosophy.

Despite his struggles in the early stages of the year, Perez recovered strongly in the second half with a trio of back-to-back podium finishes in Turkey, the USA and Mexico.

Asked if he still felt like he was not quite where he needed to be with the car, Perez conceded: "It will sound weird, but I lacked time.

"The limited amount of testing, the limited amount of practice in the car because every circuit is different.

"It was just such a different car that I went to that it probably made it a bit harder, but I think I'm not alone here. We saw other very good drivers struggle to get on top of their cars."

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