Sergio Perez Defends Ongoing Performance Woes - 'Worse For Red Bull Drivers'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 11, 2024

19th placed qualifier Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2024 in Northampton, England. / Getty Images

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who has experienced a significant slump in performance, believes he was under immense pressure because of being a Red Bull driver. He explained that "other drivers who have had a similar period of bad races" don't go through such pressure and scrutiny by the media.

Perez secured a contract extension for two years with Red Bull in June, securing his seat for the rest of the season despite continuous speculation of his exit from the team. However, what followed after the first five Grands Prix caused rumors of his ousting to resurface in the media.

The Mexican driver exhibited poor form on the track, starting at the back of the grid in two races, and often failing to finish within the points. Although he managed an impressive second-place start at the recent Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix, he ultimately finished in seventh place.

In the past 14 races, Max Verstappen has been instrumental in keeping Red Bull at the forefront of both championships. However, with Perez struggling and rival teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes making significant comebacks, Red Bull's lead in the Constructors' Championship over McLaren in second place has dropped to 42 points.

As the season approached the summer break, there was speculation that Perez would be replaced by Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson or VCARB (RB) driver Daniel Ricciardo, although the Australian driver's chances remained slim.

Fortunately for the 34-year-old driver, Red Bull chose to retain him, urging him to improve his performance for the remaining races. Despite being accustomed to high-pressure situations, Perez noted that his struggles had been more scrutinized compared to those of other drivers, attributing this heightened attention to his role at Red Bull. Speaking to the media, he revealed, as quoted by F1Technical.net:

“I think when you look at it there have been other drivers who have had a similar period of bad races, but it’s not so noticeable.

“I think at Red Bull there is a lot of talk all the time in the media and the scrutiny, and it’s probably worse for the Red Bull drivers, definitely.

“But at the same time right away in my career, I grew up like this. I grew up in those days if I didn’t win a race, I didn’t know if I was going to make the next race.

“So I think I was pretty up already with a lot of pressure in my career so it’s no different thing in Formula One. Formula One drivers, we are really used to this sort of pressure.

“It’s not easy, it’s obviously tough because you know you are in the spotlight of the sport. But more than the emotions, it’s really hard to get out of them and how you don’t let them turn you down to see them as a potential.

“There is always an opportunity, that’s the beauty of this sport. You are as good as your last race. So I really working on getting back my season on track and that’s a main priority."