F1 News: Sergio Perez Blames Red Bull Strategy for Poor Las Vegas Performance

Alex Harrington | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 22, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) during qualifying at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Sergio Perez's recent comments on the Red Bull Racing team's strategy during the Las Vegas Grand Prix highlight the frustrations and challenges he has encountered this season. He struggled to maximize his campaign in Vegas, which he blames on the team strategy.

During the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Perez grappled with persistent balance issues in his Red Bull RB20. These challenges were evident throughout the three practice sessions, in which the team's struggle with pace was palpable. This ongoing struggle contrasted starkly with the performance of his teammate, Max Verstappen, who demonstrated a more comfortable handling of his machinery. Verstappen's ability to secure a fifth-place starting position underscored his adeptness with the car, despite its deficiencies.

In the race, Verstappen initially held his position before pushing past Pierre Gasly and briefly clinching a podium spot. As the race unfolded, he was overtaken by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, eventually finishing outside the top three. Nonetheless, Verstappen outscored McLaren's Lando Norris, which confirmed his fourth F1 world championship title, achieving this feat despite Red Bull's struggles.

For Perez, the race strategy played a large role in the challenges he faced. Starting from 16th position, Perez opted for hard compound tires, diverging from the majority of the field, which favored mediums to cope with the track's notorious tire degradation. This choice briefly catapulted Perez to second place, but the gain was short-lived once he pitted for a tire change. The initial stint on the hard tires, exacerbated by higher-than-expected degradation, hindered his progress, forcing a lengthy run on mediums, which misaligned with the race strategies of his rivals. Ultimately, Perez's grid placement after the initial advantage dwindled, leaving him with merely a single point for his efforts.

Post-race, Perez was candid about his own performance and the decisions that impacted his race.

“For me today, I think the pace was the positive thing about the race, but unfortunately, we may have got the strategy wrong because we went out on the hard initially when the track was at its worst," Perez explained. He attributed this decision to premature use of their optimal tire, leading to a prolonged stint on less favorable tires. “The degradation was a lot higher than expected and we used the best tire at the beginning unfortunately, so I had to do quite a long stint on the medium."

He commended Verstappen:

“Congratulations to Max, I think he has had the best season I have ever seen from a driver, because a lot of the time we did not have the best car and Max made the difference a lot of weekends.

"The way he pushed the Team forwards, he was just a pure force and I think this has been the best year from him in the four we have been together. He has been tremendous, well done to him for all the success he has had, he deserves it."

"For me today, I think the pace was the positive thing about the race, but unfortunately, we may have got the strategy wrong because we went out on the hard initially when the track was at it’s worse. The degradation was a lot higher than expected and we used the best tyre in the beginning unfortunately, so I had to do quite a long stint on the medium. I feel like we are getting there but we need that extra jump, and I don’t feel like we are getting there so, hopefully for the coming weekends we can come back stronger."

The race at Las Vegas also has broader implications for Red Bull's standing in the Constructors' Championship. The setback in performance will see further challenges as Red Bull trails Ferrari and faces competition from McLaren. These elements make the final races of the season crucial for the team to reclaim competitive footing. Additionally, with only 21 points scored since the summer break, Perez's future with Red Bull remains in a state of uncertainty, sparking speculation about potential changes in the driver lineup for the 2025 season.