McLaren must re-look at their car for the 2014 season: Perez

McLaren must make improvements to their car or else the team stands risk of losing the 2014 season as well, warned the new team driver Sergio Perez. The Mexican joined the team this year to drive the McLaren MP4-28, which many reckon is not competitive enough; however, the team has refused such claims.

"We need to make major improvements, breakthroughs. We are currently one second per lap slower," Perez was quoted as saying by Brazil's Totalrace. "You don't win races when you're a second slower than everyone else."

Perez also said that with the current car, McLaren are "far away' from winning a race in the ongoing season. He suggested that the team must ensure that 2014 is not similarly poor. "We have to give our best for the next couple of months, but at some point we'll have to focus on the 2014 car," he said. "We can't risk losing another year."

About his own performance in the MP4-28, Perez sounded optimistic. "I think I'm happy ... because I've learned a lot and grown a lot as a driver. Even though I have half the points that I had last year, I'm in a better position as a driver.

"When I came here, with such a different car I realised that, compared to Jenson Button, I was not good enough," he told EFE news agency. "So I had to learn about that and work at it. Now I'm driving very differently to how I was at Sauber."