Sergio Perez, After Failing to Qualify for Q3 in Last 5 Races, Now Claims He Lost Trust in Undefeated RB19

Tanish Chachra | 21/07/2023
Sergio Perez, After Failing to Qualify Beyond Q1 in Last 5 Races, Now Claims He Lost Trust in Undefeated RB19

In the last five races, Sergio Perez has not only failed to beat his teammate Max Verstappen but also went failed to be in Q3 in the last five qualifying rounds, excluding the sprint shootout. To put it in perspective, the last time he managed to go beyond the 20 mins in qualifying was in Miami. Thus, it’s not a significant concern but still a pinch for Red Bull’s leadership. However, Perez now claims he has lost trust in the car.

Before coming to Monaco, Perez was only an arm’s distance from his teammate in the championship fight. He was also looking like someone who could give a fight to Max Verstappen, as the rest of the grid is nowhere near his pace. But the crash in Monaco started a streak, which Perez isn’t proud of and could soon be seen as a problem to Red Bull.

Nevertheless, Perez is safe from any significant action like the team took against Nyck de Vries. All he needs to do is the bare minimum with an all-dominant car by picking up regular podiums. Though, that could be tough as he shares his predicament.

Sergio Perez doesn’t trust undefeated RB19

During Thursday’s media interaction, the Mexican race driver was asked about his performance dip. And he reveals that he doesn’t trust the car anymore.

“Certainly when you are not fully confident with the car… I think what happened in Monaco probably brought me a step back, and it has taken me some time to fully trust the car the way I was doing it. And then you add the external factor with the changeable conditions, and then there’s a bit more of a discrepancy,” he said to RaceFans.

While it’s understandable that the car is more suited to Verstappen’s strengths than Perez’s demands, it’s unacceptable to lag in the fastest car on the grid. Therefore, bringing Daniel Ricciardo back in the pipeline seems to be a move by Red Bull.

The Homecoming

Ricciardo’s return was one of the major talking points during this racing week. And his return with AlphaTauri surely directs toward everyone assuming that he is now aiming back at taking the esteemed spot at Red Bull.

On the other hand, it’s a challenge thrown at Perez. If the Mexican race driver continues to leak points and another team manages to raise their title contention, then the Milton-Keynes-based outfit would want to reconsider its position.

Though, it all depends on how Ricciardo is performing. For any further consideration to the main team, the 33-year-old would need to be better than Yuki Tsunoda, who himself has brought himself out as a probable contender for the Red Bull seat. So, in a nutshell, Red Bull has thrown everyone into the water, and one can either swim or succumb.

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Red Bull Sergio Perez

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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