Sergio Perez Looks Ahead To Dutch GP As Red Bull Pressure Mounts

Saajan Jogia | Aug 21, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) poses with first place trophy and Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) poses with the third place trophy the after winning the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez will return to action at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend at Zandvoort following a rejuvenating summer break. However, after a tumultuous mid-season, he is a man on a mission to deliver consistent performances to eliminate the looming threat of a potential Red Bull departure.

Perez initiated the 2024 season in excellent form by helping Red Bull deliver a dominating 1-2 finish in three of the first five Grands Prix. However, a drop in pace and his beyond-the-points race finishes brought him under the Red Bull scanner.

His contract with the team was extended for the next two years, but a drastic drop in form after the Chinese GP raised speculations about his future with Red Bull. An inevitable meeting with team principal Christian Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko during the summer break resulted in Perez receiving a final opportunity to prove himself.

All that is now expected of him, is to help the team maintain its lead in the Constructors' Championship by scoring points on a consistent basis for the remainder of the season. The current situation is alarming for Red Bull considering the resurgence of rival teams such as McLaren, which trails in second place with a difference of just 42 points.

In Red Bull's Dutch Grand Prix preview, as reported by F1i.com, Perez is eager to leverage the rest he received during the break and is looking forward to the upcoming race at Zandvoort this weekend. He said:

"I am looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend.

“The summer break was very important for everyone in the team and the whole sport, with so many races now everyone needs the rest and reset time more than ever.

“I spent my time in Mexico with family and I feel refreshed and ready to go for the second half of the season.

“I know all my team feel the same, I have been in Milton Keynes this week with them."

Starting this weekend, Perez will be supported by his new temporary race engineer, Richard Wood, who will replace Hugh Bird during his paternity leave. Recognizing the importance of maximizing the performance of the RB20 F1 car in the coming weeks, he added:

"Everyone will notice a change on the radio on our side of the garage in Zandvoort.

"Woody, my performance engineer will step up in the meantime.

"I know what we can extract from the car in the coming weeks and we will do our best to maximize the second half of 2024.”