Sergio Perez Opens Up On Challenges Within Red Bull - 'The Whole Environment'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 10, 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

Sergio Perez revealed the challenges of being a Red Bull driver, which only a few drivers can withstand. The immense pressure from the "whole environment of Red Bull," as well as from the stress of being Max Verstappen's teammate, led many "great drivers" such as Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly losing their seats.

The 2023 Formula 1 season looked extremely challenging for the Mexican driver, and 2024 appears to be heading in the same direction. Both seasons saw a flurry of rumors reporting his potential ousting from Red Bull. What magnified his performance woes further was the contrast between his and Verstappen's performance.

Despite the recent slump in Red Bull's performance as a result of balance problems on the RB20 F1 car, Perez is placed seventh in the Drivers' Standings, 160 points behind Verstappen, who leads the championship. The Dutchman managed to secure victory in seven races of the first ten Grands Prix, while Perez won none.

The comparison put the 34-year-old in a tricky situation, despite him delivering podium finishes in four Grands Prix thus far. Fortunately, Perez secured a contract extension with his team for the next two years, but a mid-season upgrade on Red Bull's title contender made things worse for him.

Perez failed to finish in the top five in several races, including two DNFs to date. Not to forget the P17 finish at the British Grand Prix, where his qualifying session ended in Q1 after losing control of his car, forcing him to start at the back of the grid.

Speculation about his replacement circulated widely, with Daniel Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson frequently mentioned as potential candidates. He also faced frequent criticism from the team's senior advisor, Helmut Marko, casting a bleak outlook on his future at Red Bull.

However, after a team meeting during the summer break, team principal Christian Horner confirmed that Perez would stay with the team. Instead, the focus shifted to the car, which Verstappen described as "undrivable" at the Dutch GP due to worsening handling issues.

With Horner recently revealing that the RB20 had shown issues since the start of the season, Perez has spoken openly about the pressure of being a Red Bull driver. He told The Times:

“When you are outside here, you don’t realise the amount of challenges there will be, not just driving alongside Max.

“It’s with the whole environment of Red Bull. I only realised when I joined it, because you’ve seen great drivers, like [Pierre] Gasly, [Alex] Albon, they go to other teams, and they’re fantastic drivers, but it doesn’t work for everyone here.”

As the only repeat winner at the Baku City Circuit and with the Azerbaijan GP marking his most recent victory, Perez conceded that the car's pace wasn't enough to challenge the strong McLarens in the upcoming race, though he remained uncertain about the prospects for the races ahead. He added:

“The momentum is not with us.

“It hasn’t been with us in the last few weekends, but it can turn around. The pressure is on McLaren, I think it is their championship to lose at the moment.

“I would say that if they don’t win the Constructors’, we have taken it away from them. But let’s see how the next few races evolve.”