Need to go flat out at Monza: Perez

Force India driver Sergio Perez on Monday said he needs to go "flat out all the way" at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix here on Sunday, stressing on having a good qualifying session on Saturday at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

"Monza is a true power track and so we go there confident of being competitive. It's never easy to overtake and the strategy options are quite limited, and so getting the job done in qualifying is especially important. In the race it's a case of being flat out all the way and being accurate with your braking points," Perez said.

The Mexican's confidence was boosted at the Belgian Grand Prix on August 23 when he brought home his team's best performance of the season by finishing fifth to bring in 10 points.

"The race in Belgium was good fun: it's always nice to battle at the front and, even though we didn't manage to get onto the podium, it was good to come away with our best result of the season so far," said the 25-year-old.

"Our performance is improving and we are taking the opportunities when they arise. We have seen that we can now fight with nearly everyone and it's important we keep aiming for the podium."

Perez said he has fond memories of Monza. In 2012, while driving for Sauber, he had finished second.

"Monza is a place with lots of memories for me. I had one of my best races in Formula 1 there in 2012, finishing second after a clever race managing tyres. The circuit is probably one of the most beautiful in the calendar: there's history wherever you look and you can feel it's a unique place from the very moment you arrive at the track," said Perez.

"The Italian fans are amazing - they remind me of Mexicans, in a way, and it's a good warm-up ahead of the race in Mexico City! My feeling with the updated car is very good now. Spa was the most comfortable I've been this season and it showed in the results. We need to go to Monza and deliver a similar performance."