©RedBull
Helmut Marko will always call a spade a spade, but Sergio Perez says he's actually comfortable with the Red Bull motorsport boss' brutally honest words on bad days.
Perez delivered to Red Bull its third win of the 2021 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and has so far contributed 104 points to the team's 291 tally in the Constructors' standings.
But the Mexican has also found himself on a few occasions on the receiving end of Marko's blunt annoyance, especially at Imola where Perez's strong display in qualifying, when he outpaced teammate Max Verstappen, was followed by an error-laden race on Sunday.
"When I have a bad race, he will just tell me, and he will always tell you exactly what he thinks," said Perez.
"It is something good I think for someone with my experience, with my career in Formula 1, with the career I've had.
"It's good to have someone that tells you straight away what he's thinking, and where you are."
Like any driver, the 31-year-old doesn't like having a bad day. But how the team responds to a driver's setback is important insists the Mexican who has no issues with Red Bull's unconcealed communication, private or public.
"They obviously have all the information and all the data weekend after weekend," he said. "They know exactly where the driver's laptime is.
"With Red Bull, there's no holding back. So they are quite transparent with myself and with the media, which is good.
"But the most important thing is that I'm happy and I'm satisfied going home, weekend after weekend.
"That for me is the most important thing, you know. I'm a very hungry driver and I have to live with myself."
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The asphalt at Jerez was already sizzling on Saturday, but the temperature in the MotoGP…
On this day in 2001, the world of motorsport mourned the loss of Michele Alboreto,…
Former Grand Prix driver Jean Alesi, who famously wore his heart on his sleeve during…
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has called out Red Bull for letting Max Verstappen…
While the start of the 2026 season has been a heavy lift for Williams –…
Zak Brown has once again lit the fuse on one of the sport’s most controversial…