Gutierrez sure return to racing will not be a problem

The Mexican returns to racing this year after having been signed by the Haas F1 team for its debut season alongside Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

Gutierrez was a reserve driver at Ferrari in 2015 after losing his Sauber race seat at the end of the previous season.

Although the 24-year-old drove an F1 car only twice last year, he is confident he will be able to re-adapt quickly.

"I'm not concerned because I have prepared myself in the best way that I could, with the tools I had," Gutierrez told reporters at the Haas factory on Tuesday.

"So I think when you optimise your preparation based on what you can get, I'm confident that I can go back to racing with no problem."

Gutierrez says he is not seeing his spell at Haas as not a stepping stone towards a drive with a bigger team, and insists he is convinced he can succeed with the American team.

"I'm very committed to Haas, to the project," he said. "I have a big trust and belief on the project. And I want to make the best out of this opportunity.

"As long as we can work together, it will be the same mentality.

"So let's see what comes up in the future. Obviously I want to get to a winning level. It really doesn't matter which team it is, but I want to be winning in the near future."

When asked if he believed he could shine with Haas, he said: "Yes, I do believe that."

Interview by Lee Spencer