After a string of underwhelming results, Sergio Perez finally shone at the 2023 Hungarian GP which drew in praise from several people including Christian Horner. The Mexican star who started from P9, managed to fight his way up to P3. However, former Williams driver Jack Aitken believes that Perez should have delivered better considering he is driving the RB19, which is the fastest car on the grid.
The Guadalajara-born driver has been struggling for form for quite a while, especially during qualifying. From that aspect, Hungary wasn’t much better, but his statement performance in the race was enough to shut a lot of his critics up.
From P9 to P3 💪@SChecoPerez is your #F1DriverOfTheDay #HungarianGP @salesforce pic.twitter.com/NC5WjYRC9K
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 23, 2023
Even though Perez was able to finish on the podium in Hungary, Jack Aitken feels that it wasn’t enough, given he is driving the RB19. According to him, that car is capable of finishing higher than third, as proved by Max Verstappen. The Dutchman started the race from P2 and ended up winning by a margin greater than 30 seconds.
Perez’s performance was not enough in Hungary, Aitken remarks
In the BBC Chequered Flag podcast, Rosanna Tennant talked about Perez’s performance in Hungary. Aitken then put forward his own claims, suggesting that Perez could and should have done a lot better.
Speaking of this, he started with how the Red Bull driver found himself to be behind Lando Norris towards the end of the Grand Prix. However, he began dropping back and wasn’t able to take his car to P2, which is where Aitken feels Perez’s shortcoming was.
Very happy with today’s comeback from P9 to P3! It feels good to be back on the podium. Fantastic job from the team with flawless pit stops and a new historic team record with 12 wins in a row! Hungry for more 🔥
¡Muy feliz con la remontada de hoy de P9 a P3! Se siente bien… pic.twitter.com/TEmDrxdKwM
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) July 23, 2023
“Perez even started losing time. So it’s quite clear that he didn’t get the most out in that final stint. And while the optics look a lot better for him today than in previous Grand Prix. I do question the kind of performance that is worthy of the car,” Aitken stated.
However, the race in Hungary will be a sigh of relief for the 33-year-old driver. Red Bull needed him to make a strong recovery drive, and he delivered, by putting his car on the podium, as they march on towards yet another constructors’ title win.
Horner hails Sergio Perez following the Hungary race
After the conclusion of the Hungarian GP, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was full of praise for Sergio Perez. Horner remarked that the Mexican’s drive on Sunday showed that he is full of confidence.
“A race like that only gives you a huge amount of confidence,” Horner said as quoted by ESPN. “His overtaking, the bravery that he showed. For me that was really a statement drive today to say ‘Look, don’t write me off’, and I think this will give him a lot of confidence.”
Now, Perez will be hoping to carry forward this confidence into the coming rounds. He was under tremendous pressure to deliver, with the threat of losing his seat looming. For the time being, however, he seems to have put a stop on these speculations.
