Surprise podium for stunning Perez

MONTREAL, June 10, 2012 (AFP) - Mexico's Sergio Perez was elated after a stunning drive secured him third position in Sunday's action-packed Canadian Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old Sauber driver, who finished second in Malaysia, was surprised to capture his second podium of the season after starting from 15th on the grid at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit.

Perez utilised a one-stop strategy that required supreme tire management and some challenging overtakes, which included passing two-time drivers world champion Fernando Alonso with only two laps remaining.

"When you start 15th on the grid, you don't expect to get a podium finish," Perez said.

"We went off very aggressively and I managed to overtake a few cars with some difficult manoeuvres. The tire degradation was not bad for me and I managed to keep moving up the field.

"It's a great result for the team after such a bad day yesterday. We had a lot of troubles with the brakes and today it's just great to finish on the podium. It's a great boost for the team."

His Sauber team-mate, Japan's Kamui Kobayashi, finished in ninth position, rounding off a strong weekend for the team.

"My car was OK today and the team deserves the good result," Kobayashi said.

The podium comes at a great time for the Swiss-based outfit, who have suffered a dip in form after a strong start to the season.

Sauber now move within 11 points of fifth place Mercedes GP in the constructors world championship.

Perez now sits ninth in the drivers standings with 37 points while Kobayashi is 11th with 21 points