Sergio Perez says Force India's performance in Melbourne has given him a "good feeling" about the team's chances for the upcoming back-to-back races in China and Bahrain.
Despite an underwhelming winter for the team Perez and teammate Esteban Ocon finished seventh and tenth at the Australian Grand Prix. Though he knows there is still work to do Perez thinks the opening race of the season provides a good foundation for Force India in the remaining fly-away races.
"Our seventh place finish in Melbourne was very satisfying," Perez said. "We beat some cars that had better pace because we made the right decisions with the strategy. Our performance in Melbourne showed that we have done a good job over the winter, but there are still areas where we need to improve.
"The upgrades we have coming during the next couple of races should help. It's about improving the overall balance of the car."
Perez thinks the strong start is a good omen for what the team can expect in 2017, a year which promises to see a relentless development battle across the field.
"The seventh place in Melbourne represents my best ever start to a season with this team and I have a good feeling for the races to come. In the last few years we've shown that we can develop the car well and that's going to be especially important this year. We've already made a big step forward since pre-season testing."