Sergio Perez insists he has to work 'HARDER' in Red Bull car

max verstappen, checo perez — Photo: © LAT Images

Sergio Perez

Perez insists he has to work 'HARDER' in Red Bull car

The Mexican driver admitted that the car's development doesn't suit him as well as it does his teammate's

Luis Raya

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:27

Sergio Perez has confessed to struggling with adapting to the car and its development, as it doesn't suit him well, leading him to put in extra effort to achieve results.

Despite having a strong start to the season, securing two victories and two pole positions early in the year, Perez's performance dwindled as the races progressed, struggling to find pace and trailing far behind Verstappen.

Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Mexican driver, in an interview with Sky Sports F1, opened up about the challenges he's facing this season in terms of driving the car and adapting it to his style.

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The car's development isn't aligning well with his strengths, leading him to believe that he needs to put in extra effort to overcome this setback.

"The progression is there. For a driver it’s really difficult to be adapting to the car instead of just things coming naturally. The last few races have been like a step or two behind," said Perez.

"Always thinking consciously how I have to drive the car. Sometimes with how the car has been developed doesn’t really suit me as much, so I have to work harder for it. The last two races, for example, have been good, standing on the podium and hopefully we can keep that momentum going. At the end of the day, we’ve got a great racecar."

Red Bull's car is nothing like Force India's

His win at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix paved the way for Perez to sign with Red Bull

Before joining Red Bull in 2021, Perez, who made his F1 debut in 2011, never had a winning car in his racing career, consistently battling in the midfield.

The Mexican driver raced for Force India (later Racing Point and subsequently Aston Martin) from 2014 to 2020, where he secured six podiums and a fantastic win in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, which earned him the opportunity to join Red Bull.

The 33-year-old driver also highlighted the significant difference between a winning car like Red Bull and a midfield car like Force India, as they have nothing in common.

“There are a lot of things that are so different. How you look after tyres for example, is one of the biggest things. How you drive is completely different. You are able to do things that with the Force India car, you can’t, or you cannot even think of doing," he said.