Sergio Perez has warned his Cadillac F1 team to be prepared for a "more difficult weekend" at the Japanese GP following a major change.
For the Suzuka weekend, cars will run in higher downforce packages than in Australia or China, something the team has not yet done whilst in competition.
In China, both Perez and Valtteri Bottas made it to the chequered flag for the new squad's first two-car finish, something neither McLaren nor Red Bull have as yet failed to achieve.
Looking ahead to his return to Suzuka, where he finished second on his last appearance for Red Bull in 2024, Perez was confident the team would continue to build on its knowledge gained, but also handed the warning.
"The team has been pushing hard over the first two races of the season, and we have already made clear progress," said Perez.
"The Sprint weekend in China was another new challenge, but we handled it well and came away stronger. I’m excited to continue pushing at Suzuka, a real drivers’ circuit and one where I’ve had podiums before.
"While the higher downforce configuration will make it a more difficult weekend for us, we’ll approach it in the same way — focus on having trouble-free sessions, progress each time we hit the track and get to the end of the race."
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