Sergio Perez says the Sauber is not as easy on its tyres as people think and that the team is actually trying to get on top of a problem with degradation.


Perez scored a podium in Canada using a one-stop strategy and moved from 17th on the grid to sixth last weekend by completing one less stop than the Mercedes and Force India he was fighting with. But the Sauber driver insists his car is no easier on its tyres than those of his competitors.

"I think now we don't have as big advantage as we had last year," Perez said. "I think we are degrading as much as the others. I think the reason why people stopped three times in Hockenheim was to have a very strong final stint and the pit lane in Hockenheim is short as well. I don't think we are performing a lot better than others in terms of degradation. I think we actually have a problem with degradation - we are on the high side and it's something we are working on.

"I think when it is very hot we suffer with the degradation of the tyres. The temperature can be very high here, but on the other hand I think Pirelli are on the conservative side with the tyres [medium and softs] so it might not be such an issue. We have worked a lot since Bahrain where we had massive issues, we've had some ideas and I think we will be okay here."

Perez has not made the final session of qualifying since the Spanish Grand Prix and said errors of judgement in the wet at the last two races have cost him a shot at the podium and possibly a victory.

"In the last two weekends in qualifying it has not been the luck [that has stopped us qualifying higher], it has been that we've made the wrong calls at crucial moments," he said. "At Silverstone I was P1 in Q2 and with six minutes remaining we did the wrong call and went for inters and screwed up again. Then at Hockenheim I went out a bit late and I was behind everyone else in the pack. So I think it is not luck, it's a matter of making the right calls together with the team and then I think we will be okay in any condition."

Asked what he could have achieved if he had qualified higher in Germany, Perez said: "I think definitely we could have fought for a win and if not a win we could have been in contention to fight for a podium."