'Amazing' Perez is undervalued - Force India

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes Sergio Perez is "so undervalued" in terms of his ability after another strong performance in Bahrain.

Since leaving McLaren, Perez has been at Force India for three seasons and last year became the first driver to score more than 100 points in a year for the team. Despite Force India having a car that appears to be toward the back of the midfield in terms of outright pace, Perez has secured two seventh-place finishes as well as a ninth in China.

On his performance in Bahrain this weekend, where Perez started 18th, Fernley told RACER: "It was a super drive.

"We keep saying that Checo is so undervalued I think in terms of public opinion or whatever. He's an amazing driver – you just give him the slightest sniff of an overtake or a points position and he is there every time."

When it was put to Fernley that the ability to raise his level when in a fight is one that Fernando Alonso has, the deputy team principal said Perez has added skills that are just as impressive.

"He's got amazing tenacity, which is what Fernando also has, but he has that calmness and that smoothness that allows him to deliver the tire results and everything that we need as well. He's an exceptionally good driver and we're obviously very proud to have him with us."

Esteban Ocon has also started the season with three consecutive 10th places, and Fernley believes there will be an obvious improvement from the Frenchman in more familiar surroundings.

"Once again, I think it's that inner confidence that he has [that delivers the results]. He's a very mature young man, and while there's still a little bit of rawness here and there and he's still learning with us, Bahrain is the first track that he's been on that he's actually known.

"By the time we get to Austria I think he will only have done two tracks, which are Barcelona and Bahrain, so all the rest have been new. Once we see him from Austria onwards I think we'll start to see him pushing hard and we'll have two very hard-running drivers."