Sergio Perez has offered a candid insight into the difficulties he has faced behind the wheel of Red Bull’s RB20, explaining that his struggles, which have intensified throughout the 2024 Formula 1 season, are not fully understood by everyone.
The Mexican driver, who started his campaign on a strong note with four three finishes in the first five races, hasn’t seen the podium since last April’s Chinese Grand Prix, a dramatic shortfall that has led to speculation about his future with Red Bull.
Perez attributes his performance dip to car development issues that have plagued him “probably for the last 15 months”.
The 34-year-old F1 veteran says “car development, the direction, the trajectory we’ve been taking" have impacted his ability to compete consistently at the front of the grid.
While his teammate and championship leader Max Verstappen managed to mask these issues for much of the season, Perez believes the problems have always been present.
“I think it’s a thing with the style of Max. He’s less sensitive to the issues we have just by nature,” Perez explained.
“Some people don’t understand it, especially from the media side, that different driver styles can come to different conclusions. The problem was… Well, not the problem – the good thing was that Max was less sensitive to it than I was.
“Ten, 12 races ago, I was complaining about these issues, but now they are so big that even Max is feeling them. I think the solution will benefit me even more with my style.”
The Red Bull charger remains optimistic that the team will soon address these challenges.
“It’s very clear in the data, the team is fully aware of it and hopefully we can fix the issues soon going forwards. Then we can unlock a lot of performance from the car.”
Heading into this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, there is a sense of cautious optimism on Perez’s side of the Red Bull garage.
However, when asked if he had the confidence needed to push the car to its limits on the demanding street circuit, where he has won twice, Perez admitted that recent races have shaken his belief in the car.
"Not at the moment. Not after Monza, let’s put it that way, but it’s a very different track," he said, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding his performance.
Nevertheless, Perez noted that the simulator runs at Baku provided some hope, as the track layout seemed to suit the RB20 better than previous circuits.
"On the simulator it feels like probably the best balance of the year because of the track layout, so hopefully with the limitations we currently have, we are not able to feel them as much here and we can have the confidence to really attack the whole circuit,” he said.
The six-time Grand Prix winner emphasized that confidence will be key to unlocking performance at Baku, a circuit that requires precision and bravery.
"It’s the only way to get the lap time out of here – you need the confidence to throw the car into the walls, to throw the car on the braking” he said.
“If we are able to get that, I really hope… This, on paper, seems to be our best chance. These next two coming weekends [with Singapore to follow] should be good ones."
With eight rounds left in the season, Red Bull holds a narrow eight-point lead over McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, while Verstappen enjoys a 62-point advantage over Lando Norris in the Drivers’ standings.
For Perez, however, the focus remains on overcoming the technical hurdles that have hampered his campaign and regaining the confidence that made him a formidable competitor earlier in the season.
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