Driver changes will shake up the grid - Perez

The driver who can adapt to his new team the quickest will thrive this season, according to Sergio Perez.

The Mexican is one of seven seat changes on the grid for 2021 all but three teams - likely four with Mercedes yet to announce world champion Lewis Hamilton's extended contract for the new season - bringing in a new driver to the team.

Among those are Carlos Sainz Jnr's move from McLaren to Ferrari and Daniel Ricciardo's move from Renault to replace Sainz at Woking - moves expected to drag both teams closer to Red Bull in the constructor's championship.

With only a few days of pre-season testing before the race opener in Bahrain, Perez, who spent seven years at the Silverstone-based Force India/Racing Point says it will be intereting to see who adapts best to their new surroundings.

"There are a lot of things you have to learn," he said. "I will get better and better at knowing the team and them understanding what I mean. There is limited testing, but it's the same for everyone. A lot of drivers will be changing teams, so it will be good to see who adapts the fastest.

"After spending seven years with a team, it feels a bit different, like a dog finding a new family! But I have to say I'm starting to feel comfortable here."

Ricciardo's departure from Red Bull at the end of 2018 came after two-and-a-half years partnering Max Verstappen, and since neither Pierre Gasly nor Alex Albon have been able to top the Dutchman for supremacy at Tilbrook. Perez, who has a decade of F1 experience under his belt, says he knows the challenge in front of him, but believes he needs to work with Verstappen to help the team close the gap to reigning champions Mercedes.

He said: "It's a big challenge. We all know how talented how Max is, how fast he is, how much he has grown and how complete he is. He's one of the best and fastest out there on the current grid. It will be a massive challenge. He has been here a while, he knows what he needs from the car and I'm looking forward to working with him.

"We have to close the gap to Mercedes and hopefully beat them with both cars regularly and make F1 a better spectacle. From what I've heard from the engineers, they've been working hard this winter to do that."