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Sergio Pérez had high hopes for the Italian GP but ultimately fell short of his goals. The Mexican driver has struggled to find his rhythm, especially since extending his contract with the Austrian team. His issues have been apparent week after week, but the Red Bull driver still holds out hope that things could change in the near future.
The Mexican is also concerned about Max Verstappen’s somewhat weaker performances, as his advantage over the others is diminishing. After the race, Pérez reflected on his eighth-place finish, expressing his disappointment. While there was an expectation that the balance of power might look similar, few anticipated such an outcome. Pérez admitted that the strategy they employed had some success, but these performances do not inspire much optimism.
“[I’m] really disappointed,” -Perez said, as quoted by F1.
“I was expecting it to be difficult but not this bad. We basically were slow and had high deg [degradation], especially on the medium.
I compromised my race a little bit I think to keep George [Russell] behind, but that worked quite well for us because we were able to hold George behind for a little bit and in the end he came really close to Max, so I think it made a difference to the team in terms of points we secured today.”
The 34-year-old driver has faced problems race after race and expressed concern about the situation. What is most troubling for the team principals is also Max Verstappen's somewhat weaker performances. The Mexican driver is somewhat perplexed by the current situation and is aware that they need to determine where the biggest issues lie.
“I really feel like I’m in the same boat as I’ve been in for the last eight, 10 races but now all of a sudden Max has come into similar issues so yeah, a little bit of a confusion there but it is clear in the data where the problem is,” Perez said.
Sergio Pérez expressed confidence that both the team at the track and back home have the capability to resolve the issues they’re facing. He mentioned that they’ve built great cars in the past, and there’s no reason they can’t get back on track. Pérez stressed that the team now understands the problem, which is related to the car's balance. He believes that if they can fix this issue, they’ll be able to improve their performance. For now, his focus is on working hard to find a solution.
Sergio Pérez's future
Although he has a contract until 2024, Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez (33) is feeling the pressure. His teammate Max Verstappen (26) has won his third world championship, with five races still remaining this season. The Mexican is currently second with 224 points, while Lewis Hamilton trails behind with 194 points.
After starting the season with wins in two of the first four races, Pérez has since finished second in three of the last 13 races, third twice, and has had a few races where he finished lower, including a retirement in Japan. Despite the Red Bull team principal frequently stating that Pérez would not leave before his contract ends, it seems that circumstances might have changed.
Sergio Pérez's goals before the season
Before the season began, Sergio Pérez set his sights on the championship as his main goal. He stressed that while he had been second in the standings the previous season and aspired to achieve an even better result, he was fully aware of the difficulty involved. Pérez planned to use the winter to prepare as thoroughly as possible for the start of the new season, aiming to have a strong start and maintain consistency throughout. He said:
"I believe it's essential to make the most of the car's potential and deliver performances without fluctuations. Last season was a real rollercoaster, but the upcoming season is a new opportunity. Honestly, I felt like I struggled to truly connect with the car. I hope to avoid such issues next year and, as a result, be much faster. A strong finish to the previous season gives me hope for that."
Currently, Pérez is far from reaching his goals, and it remains to be seen what can be expected from him in the upcoming races. The 34-year-old driver will need to significantly improve if he wants to secure top positions. The Austrian team faces the question of how much room for optimism there is, given that things are far from ideal. Much needs to change, and the upcoming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Red Bull’s leaders have managed to address these issues.
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