Sauber F1 Team
Esteban Gutierrez says he is expecting next weekend's United States Grand Prix to be 'special' as he counts it as his home race.
Mexican Gutierrez has never raced in Austin but is hoping to put on a show for the local fans.
"Austin will be a very special weekend for me, because we can expect to have a lot of Mexican supporters again," he said.
"I’m from Monterrey, which is quite close to Austin, being about one and a half to two hours away, so my family and also a lot of my friends will come to the event. This will give me additional motivation for the weekend and makes the atmosphere special."
Gutierrez nonetheless believes that he will face an uphill challenge to score points.
The Sauber driver has scored points just once in his rookie season, courtesy of a seventh place finish in Japan.
"It will be a challenge, because I have not yet raced in Austin."
"It is a very complex layout and the first sector particularly is really interesting. It is very quick, a bit like Silverstone. They basically took the drivers’ favourite parts of other tracks and combined them into one. I think this makes it a very attractive layout, and I am looking forward to get to know it."
"I really enjoyed attending the event as test and reserve driver last year, and now I am excited to be there as a Formula One driver. My personal expectations are to score points for our team in front of a big Mexican crowd. I want to entertain them and give them a reason to celebrate."
