Mercedes have won all five races of the season so far, and Force India driver Sergio Perez expects the German outfit to continue their domination in one of the most prestigious and glamorous races of the season - the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Silver Arrows have traditionally performed strongly at Monaco as in 2012 Michael Schumacher set the fastest time in qualifying before being moved down because of a five-place grid penalty, while Nico Rosberg won the race from the pole position last year.
However, Perez also said the tight and twisty nature of the Circuit de Monaco makes it a challenging track for drivers and there is always a chance of someone pulling off an upset . The Mexican is hopeful that the Force India will also keep its good form, going into Monaco as well.
"It's a big challenge and I have always believed it's a circuit where the driver can really make a difference," Perez stressed. "So you always have the chance to do something special there. It's not the most difficult lap of the year, but you have to always keep your concentration.
"I don't believe that there will be a major surprise and I expect the same teams to be at the front. It's hard to predict how strong we will be, but I hope we can continue our good form."
Perez's Force India teammate Nico Hulkenberg described Monaco as one of the toughest races of the season and pointed out that the drivers have to work hard throughout the entire lap.
"In terms of precision it's right up there with Singapore as the toughest race of the year. You never get a break during the lap; you are always working hard because it's corner after corner. Even the straights are really short and it's high-speed for such a narrow track," the German said.
Hulkenberg feels the field is currently quite competitive, and Force India needs to keep the development going to match its rivals.
"I particularly enjoy the swimming pool area, which is very quick, and the two right-hand corners before the tunnel," Hulkenberg stated. "I think it will be a normal track for us. As far as the pecking order is concerned, it's very tight and competitive at the moment so we need to keep working hard and keep developing."
