All we need is luck, says Pérez

Sauber’s Sergio Perez says he’s been on the pace but not enjoying any good fortune in recent races.

Speaking in Thursday’s FIA press conference, the Mexican driver was explaining why he has not again hit the heights he reached when challenging for the lead and finishing second at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

"I think it’s just a matter of putting everything together," said Pérez. "We have enough speed, we have had very unlucky races since Malaysia. The only weekend we didn’t have the speed was in Bahrain where we had a lot of degradation. Barcelona I was in fourth place but then I had a puncture; Monaco, in qualifying, we had the speed to fight for a win, I think, but then we had a problem with the steering wheel. I think the speed is there; everything is there and it’s just a matter of luck. We have been very unlucky in the last few races."

Pérez admitted that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is not one he knows particularly well, having pulled out of last year’s event after a short run in FP1, realising that he had not fully recovered from the big crash in qualifying which had ruled him out of the previous race. "It is not a circuit that I know well, not really from the few laps I did in FP1 last year. I’ve done some laps in the simulator [and] I think it’s a circuit where it will not be a problem to get up to speed. Hopefully this weekend can be a lot better. I think we have a very competitive car and we can fight for a podium here."

When asked about the unpredictable nature of results in 2012 Pérez said he though there would be further opportunities for surprise winners as the season progresses. "I think anyone can win a race. You never know what will happen in any race, so there is always the chance for every driver to have a nice surprise. I think especially this year, most of the top teams and also the middle teams are really close together, so it can be a surprise like has happened with Pastor winning. Others might come during the year."