Sergio Perez has acknowledged that being paired with Max Verstappen at Red Bull represents a "big challenge", dubbing the Dutchman a "complete" driver.
The 31-year-old will start his first season with Red Bull next month, following his off-season arrival from Racing Point, where he spent the last seven years of his career.
During that time Perez gained a reputation for getting the best out of limited machinery and secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in Sakhir last season.
Looking ahead to the next step in his Formula 1 career, Perez said he was looking forward to working with his new teammate.
“It’s a big challenge for myself,” he said, as reported by Crash. "We all know Max, how talented, how fast, how much he has grown in the in the past year, how complete he is by now.
"So he’s definitely one of the best and one of the fastest, if not the fastest out there in the current grid.
“So it’s a massive challenge, in a way. He’s been here a long time, he knows what he needs from the car. But it’s a great challenge and I look forward to working with him and pushing the team forwards together.”
In addition to facing off against one of the fastest drivers in the sport in the same car, Perez will also face the challenge of adapting quickly to his new surroundings in Milton Keynes.
“It’s very different in a way that it’s a new team, there are so many things that you have to learn and it just takes a bit of time,” he added.
“I will just get better and better at knowing the team, understanding what I need, it just takes a bit of time.
“It’s building all the processes, putting all of that work into the pre-season. I’ve already spent a good amount of time with my new engineers, that’s the key to try to speed up the process.
“I’ve done a couple of days on the sim already, I have a good idea of what the Red Bull car is like, so it’s already in the back of my head. But we are in that time where nothing comes easy, you have to really learn and work to get up to speed with the car but it’s getting there.
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