Perez surprised by 'extreme' tyre degradation

© Octane Photographic

Sergio Perez finished the second day of testing in Barcelona quickest and declared himself happy with McLaren's progress after completing 91 laps.

However the Mexican, who last year became well-known for his ability to conserve the tyres, said he was "surprised" by the "extreme" degradation he experienced.

"It's extreme," said the 23-year-old. "The degradation is very difficult. It's a big surprise.

"Normally in winter testing we see a lot of degradation, but never this much.

"We are going to have a race here so it's a bit of a worry. But we are still learning about the tyres and I think once we go racing I hope things will change."

Should things remain as they are, Perez believes it'll be difficult to get more than a handful of laps out of each set come the first race.

"I hope it changes, because if we are in this situation in Melbourne we are going to see something like seven or 10 stops."

iPad owner? Grab our free Newsstand app now and access our live news feed and grab a copy of The F1 Times Magazine with tons of exclusive content just for you.