F1 News: Sergio Perez Addresses Red Bull Pressure After British GP Qualifying Mishap

Sergio Perez faces pressure after an unexpected qualifying mishap at the British GP.

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) reacts on the grid after the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Sergio Perez faced an unexpected setback during the British Grand Prix Qualifying. The Red Bull driver was eliminated in Q1 after an incident at the notorious right-hander at Copse. Perez described treacherous track conditions with the area "completely soaked with water" outside of the regular racing line, which led to his car spinning and ending up in a gravel trap.

This mishap has significant implications for Perez's starting position in the race, relegating him to 19th on the grid. Speaking to the media following the session, the Mexican driver explained, as quoted by Crash.net:

“T9 was tricky, really difficult, especially in the beginning, as I was trying to warm up the tyres going into Turn 9, when I downshifted I basically lost the rear end quite badly and I went out of the track.

“Cold tyres and it was completely soaked of water outside of the track so I just ended up going in the gravel, couldn’t stop the car, couldn’t go straight, very unfortunate incident.”

In the wake of speculation from media and fans about the potential pressure affecting his performance, Perez was quick to dismiss such claims. He responded:

“No, no no no, that has nothing to do with it, I’m fully focused on my job,” he added. “I’m fully focused on getting the performance out of myself.

“I know where I can be, yesterday we had a very positive day, things were looking in the right direction, so yeah, head down and it’s a matter of time before we turn around the situation.”

Amid rumors concerning his future with Red Bull Racing, following a recent contract extension earlier this year, Perez has yet to discuss the incident with key team figures such as principal advisor Helmut Marko or team boss Christian Horner. However, his commitment to improvement remains steadfast.

“No, no, nothing about it, fully focused on my job, which is to deliver tomorrow, so I don’t have to think about anything else,” he added.

“The most concerned about it is myself, so I want to get back to my form as early as possible, and yeah, just fully focus on my form.”