Sergio Perez Laments Red Bull RB20 Struggles In Zandvoort - 'Not Happy'

Chris Ladd | Aug 26, 2024

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-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Six-time Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez was not pleased after a sixth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday. The race disappointed the Red Bull Racing team on several fronts as McLaren gained ground in the constructor standings. The Red Bull team had hoped for more pace in Zandvoort.

"I'm not happy, we didn't have the pace today," Perez told reporters after the Dutch Grand Prix. "We are still really hard on tires and our medium-speed performance was very weak. I think taking turns 9, and 10 out of the circuit, I think without it we would look a lot more competitive. I think we were suffering a lot with the conditions with the tailwind and probably McLaren and was not suffering that much."

Red Bull has been going through some challenges with their car updates. Perez hopes the team can build on the knowledge they gained at the Dutch Grand Prix.

"I think the positive thing is that we understand now what's going on with the car, that's really positive," Perez said.

"It's just a question of how quickly we can fix the issues that we have but we know where we're lacking and where we're not. And I think going forward hopefully we can pick it up and come to Monza we can be a lot more competitive."

Perez didn't reveal too much information when asked about the RB20's new floor.

"I think there are a lot of things that will stay within the team but I think right now the main focus is to understand the issue.

"We know we have clearly, the way we have developed the car we've lost some path and we're definitely trying to bring it back."

Red Bull wasn't the only team struggling to find pace at the Dutch Grand Prix. Mercedes had been dominant leading up to the summer break. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and teammate George Russell finished seventh and eighth respectively.

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is known for its high-speed straights and requires teams to optimize their setups for low downforce and high top speeds. Red Bull and Mercedes will be working intensively in the few days leading up to the race to make necessary adjustments. Sergio Perez finished 6.06 seconds behind the 2023 Italian Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen.

Red Bull Racing has a 30-point lead in the constructor championship standings over McLaren, followed by Ferrari in third position.