Red Bull F1 News: Christian Horner Offers Sergio Perez Assessment Ahead Of Contract Talks

Alex Harrington | Apr 20, 2024

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, speaks at the Red Bull Fan Zone, a / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

Red Bull Racing secured a significant achievement at the Chinese Grand Prix, marking their 100th pole position with a front-row lockout. Team Principal Christian Horner lauded the entire team’s effort on a milestone day while giving an assessment on Sergio Perez's performance this weekend.

The Chinese Grand Prix qualifying session turned into a celebratory event for Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen clinched the pole position, spearheading the team’s 100th pole in Formula 1. Alongside him, teammate Sergio Perez overcame a challenging start to secure second place, making it a front-row dominance for the energy drink giants.

Verstappen, fresh off a Sprint race victory, seemed unfazed by the pressure of qualifying, leading the pack and setting impressive lap times through each qualifying round.

"After the Sprint race, it gave us a few more ideas for the car and I think the car worked even better in Qualifying," Verstappen remarked. "Definitely very happy with how the whole of Qualifying went. The car was really nice to drive and also in Q3, that final lap felt pretty decent."

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez faced a tense Q1, struggling initially and barely making the cut as the 15th fastest driver. This rocky start pressured the Mexican driver to recalibrate his approach, which effectively paid off in subsequent sessions as he climbed to P2.

"It was very intense. I nearly got knocked out in Q1. I had traffic with one of the Williams, I had to abort my lap, drove back on hot, used tyres and just made it through in P15. It was just a very messy start to qualifying," Perez admitted after qualifying. "Q2 was a little bit more straightforward. I could really get a read into the balance and we were making some nice progress through the session."

Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal, was visibly thrilled with the team’s performance and highlighted the historical significance of the day. Horner has been instrumental in orchestrating the team's strategies and was quick to credit the entire crew for their relentless pursuit of excellence.

"It's been a really good Saturday for us. Getting that Sprint race victory this morning and then the pole position with Checo on the front row as well.

With the Mexican driver needing to renew his contract with Red Bull at the end of this season, this assessment from the team chief will come as good news to the driver.

"In Q1, the track was evolving quickly and we got a bit lucky to make sure we were in the cut [with Perez].

"Checo is doing a great job. He's come into this season in a new frame of mind. 

"He's relaxed, he's driving well and his confidence is growing. He's not focusing on his team-mate and it's a different approach."