'Uncomfortable' Perez hoping Red Bull 'make the right decisions'

Perez at Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

Dutch Grand Prix

'Uncomfortable' Perez hoping Red Bull 'make the right decisions'

Perez was outside the top 10 in both Friday sessions

Sam Hall

Friday 3 September 2021 19:08

Sergio Perez is hoping he and Red Bull make the right decisions going into qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix after enduring an 'uncomfortable' first day at Zandvoort.

Although the two practice sessions were disrupted by red flags which affected all drivers, Perez could only manage the 16th and 12th fastest times respectively.

With the Mexican driver on a run of three races without a points score, Perez had hoped to be "where the car belongs" this weekend but instead conceded: “I’m not totally comfortable.

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"I’m trying a couple of things on my side but we have plenty of decisions to make so hopefully we will pick the right ones and we can move on.”

Asked if there was a correlation issue from the simulator to the cockpit, he added: “It was quite different, to be honest, compared to the simulator.

"I have never been to this circuit really so it has been a great challenge.”

Zandvoort "awesome" despite difficulties

Despite his issues, Perez claimed he had enjoyed the challenge of Zandvoort with its narrow layout, banked corners and unforgiving grass and gravel run-off areas.

“It was pretty awesome out there," added Perez. "It’s an old-school circuit.

"You really need that confidence going into the sessions to be able to trust what the car is going to do, what the car is doing every single time you are out there.

“It has been challenging. Also the long runs, physically as well. You have so many right-hand corners consecutively that it is a pretty unique challenge.

“It's pretty different to the tracks we have been to but I just hope we are able to get the best out of it.”