Sergio Perez targets the 2013 World Championship as he starts work at McLaren

Sergio Perez has described his transfer to McLaren "as a dream come true" and reiterated his belief that he can win the World Championship in 2013.

Despite frequently impressing during a 2012 season which included his first trips onto the F1 podium, Perez remains a raw talent with his new team boss, Martin Whitmarsh, describing the youngster as "a diamond that needs polishing". Qualifying, in particular, remains an area for improvement and Perez knows that he faces a steep challenge as he gets to grips with the extra demands and expectation that being a McLaren driver brings. "Being here at McLaren will help me improve in many areas," he commented. "It will be much more intense than I have been used to. I think once the season starts will look again at where we can improve, but first of all we have to go to testing and Jenson and I will have to do everything we can to make sure we have a competitive car." The 2013 McLaren is scheduled to be unveiled on January 31, with winter testing commencing the following week at Jerez.