F1 News: Sergio Perez Insists Red Bull Has A Clear Picture Of His RB20 Struggles

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (MEX) in the pit lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (MEX) in the pit lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has revealed that his team has all the necessary data to understand the challenges he currently faces with the RB20 F1 car, explaining that he has been unable to extract the car's full potential. Concerning the recent rumors of being ousted from the team, Perez insisted that there was a reason why his contract was extended for another year this season.

Perez started the 2024 season on an excellent note after securing 4 podium finishes in the first 5 Grands Prix. But after the race in China, his performance began to gradually diminish to the point where he never set foot on the podium again.

Much of his underperformance was initially attributed to poor form, but it later emerged that his RB20 suffered from significant balance issues that the team struggled to address. The pressure on the Mexican driver was immense until the car's flaws became evident when his teammate, Max Verstappen, encountered similar challenges.

However, rumors of his potential ousting from the Milton Keynes outfit continue to do the rounds, considering this huge gap in points between him and the 2024 championship winner. Perez is placed eighth in the Drivers' Standings with 152 points, while Verstappen leads with 403 points, more than double Perez's tally. Addressing the situation with Red Bull, which seems complicated at the moment, Perez said:

“I think at the end of the day the team has all the information.

“There’s a reason why we extended my contract during the year. 

“At the end of the day the team has everything. We exactly know where we are in terms of performance, in terms of issues, and difficulties that we’ve had. 

“We are a team and we know exactly internally where everything stands. 

“We’re working really hard as a team to come through and get back into a much better season than the one that we just had.”

Speaking of the RB20, the 34-year-old driver acknowledged that despite the car's pace, he has been unable to fully unlock its performance potential. He added:

“I think it’s very difficult for people to understand that they are not part of the team or are not on a daily basis.

“From one race to another, let’s say you are so far away. I think when you are not able to extract 100% out of your car, it’s irrelevant how good your car is. 

“I haven’t been able to extract 100% out of my car because of the difficulties I’ve had in the last few months.

“I think that’s the main issue. I think you go through periods. 

“I think as a team we are understanding and we are working really hard to make sure that we can fix them.”


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