Perez targeting points after Australia disappointment

Sergio Perez believes that a points finish is possible for Racing Point after the Mexican failed to score in the opening round of the 2019 season.

Perez's new teammate Lance Stroll scored the team's first points of the season after finishing ninth on his debut for them after his move from Williams.

One of his career highlights dates back to the 2014 race in Sakhir, a duel with his then-Force India teammate Nico Hulkenberg ended with Perez seizing a surprise podium finish in one of the most exciting races in recent years.

Although his aims may be lower going into the 2019 race, Perez still expects to be fighting for points come Sunday.

“I think most drivers enjoy the Bahrain circuit. The layout allows a lot of side-by-side racing and you can find few good places to overtake. The part I enjoy the most is sector one – it’s a nice design and if you lose a position in turn one, you can fight back immediately in the following three corners.

"I’ve had some great battles there over the years and I was on the podium in 2014, which was a special moment in my career. I don’t expect an easy race. The track is very technical and the combination of slow and fast corners makes it quite challenging. It can be tough on the brakes and finding your braking points is a challenge.

"There are some really big stops, especially into turn one. Some of your markers change throughout the weekend as you practice in the sun and race at night.

“The weekend will be another close fight in the middle of the grid, but I think points are achievable. It’s going to be interesting to see how much overtaking happens in the race, because it wasn’t easy in Melbourne.”