Sergio Perez has been struggling for several race weekends in a row.
Despite recently extending his contract with Red Bull Racing, Perez’s performance has been disappointing since the Imola Grand Prix. He has dropped from second to fifth place in the standings after a series of poor results. Even during the Formula 1 weekend in Austria, he hasn’t impressed.
Perez finished qualifying with an eighth-place time, trailing more than eight-tenths behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Christian Horner explained that Perez used up all his tires getting to Q3, which limited what he could do there. “He used up all his tyres getting to Q3,” Horner told Sky Sports. “But we’re still surprisingly close to the cars with new tyres ahead with Ferrari and one of the Mercedes, so I think he’ll race better tomorrow.”
Horner defends Perez, but: ‘The pressure remains’
When asked about the gap between Perez and Verstappen’s performances, Horner said they are trying their best to support him and figure out what’s missing. “We just need to get to the bottom of it and help him recover,” he stated.
Horner stands by Perez but hints that Red Bull can still apply pressure on him. “Checo’s position within the team warranted that,” Horner said cryptically. “But there’s always pressure to perform.”
Perez knows that driving a winning car comes with scrutiny and pressure, especially when not performing as expected. Fans might think it’s tough for him right now.
“The media start asking questions,” Horner continued, “and it’s very easy to lose your head at that.” He praised Perez for bouncing back under pressure over the last four years but noted that he’ll need to dig deep once again.
What do you think? Can Perez bounce back this time?
