Sergio Perez believes he can win the Monaco Grand Prix given Red Bull Racing’s competitiveness, despite his tricky start with the team.

Red Bull replaced Alex Albon with Perez after the 2020 season as it looked to strengthen the second seat to ensure it could give Mercedes a bigger challenge. However, Perez has yet to finish on the podium in the first four races, being limited to fifth place in Spain after a poor qualifying — attributed to a shoulder issue — and then being stuck behind Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren for much of the race. But that hasn’t stopped him aiming high for Monaco.

“I’m looking forward massively to Monaco, especially with this car,” Perez said. “I think we have a shot at winning the race, so yeah hopefully we are able to be back strong.

“I’m getting more confident with the car, obviously. Every time I get to the end of the weekend I’m like, ‘I wish the weekend just starts now.’ Given how limited track time is these days it is hard to get up to speed, but I think (Spain) was a particular one with not being able to be 100 percent (in qualifying). It is a big difference, so just forget this one and go again in Monaco, learn from what we’ve done and come back stronger.”

Perez believes he is getting closer to a full improved weekend after showing encouraging race pace at times and being close to pole position in Imola.

“I think it’s important to keep making those steps and put the whole weekend together. It just takes me a bit too long to get up to speed when we go to a new circuit. The full Friday I’m adapting my style and not there with the car yet — you see things are coming, but not together. Once we put them together, definitely we have the pace to be able to go pretty quick.”

Perez is leaning on teammate Max Verstappen’s data, but says one of the biggest challenges he is finding is the Red Bull needs a different driving style at each individual circuit.

“How to drive the car, really — how to get the maximum out of it, and how to adapt my driving style — that’s the thing I’m working on the most, and every circuit is different. It’s not like you learn something (in Spain) and it works in Monaco, that’s the main thing that I’m still adapting with my style.”