Gutierrez: penalty does not change anything

Esteban Gutierrez says he will not change his approach to the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend after picking up a five-place grid penalty for the event, with the Sauber driver fully focused on bouncing back as his rookie season nears its quarter mark.

Gutierrez, who ran into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India at the final hairpin in the early stages of last Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix, believes there are still a variety of positives to take from Shanghai and is hopeful of making strides in the Gulf State.

"To end the Grand Prix like that was disappointing," he said. "The mistake I made not only ended my race, but I also received a five-place grid penalty. Of course, this will not make the race in Bahrain any easier, but it doesn’t change my approach or my motivation. I will fight and make the best out of the situation.

"However, China also had a positive side to it. The engineers took several technical measures, which saw an improvement."

With two of the first three races being held at circuits where Gutierrez has never raced, the 21-year-old has also drawn confidence from his previous Bahrain experience.

"I know the track from my time in GP2," the Mexican explained. "It’s a very demanding track for the tires, and I’m looking forward to driving there in a Formula 1 car.