Sergio Perez lauded the valiant efforts put up by Adrian Newey and his team of engineers for the radical changes made to the RB20. Red Bull unveiled their 2024 challenger and it stole the show, to say the least. The Mexican driver termed the change as “brave” even though there was no need for it.
As per Autosport, Perez said, “It just shows how much this team is looking to move forward and pushing all the boundaries. It’s really great to see. It just shows the hunger that there is in this team.”
“You know, we had such a dominant car last year that you wouldn’t imagine us changing the concept as much, and I think it’s really brave from Red Bull to do that.”, stated the Mexican driver.
Newey had no reason to go for a drastic change like this after their mega dominance in 2023. The Milton-Keynes-based team took 21 wins out of 22 races. With this, they took their tally to 38 wins in 44 races in two years following the introduction of new regulations in 2022. In terms of points, Max Verstappen and Co. were miles ahead of the rest.
Season 2024 pic.twitter.com/uJk3IRGGTC
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 16, 2024
Therefore, Red Bull had the luxury to subtly improve their car and release the RB20. But Newey had other ideas. He knew rivals would try to close the gap this year. Teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have good chances of cracking the winning code and Newey knew he had to stay a step ahead.
As Red Bull expectedly may provide Perez with a race-winning car once again, fans would expect him to step up in 2024. After a dismal season in 2023, the Mexican star is set to be back in his groove and win races.
Can Perez perform at Red Bull this year?
Sergio Perez had an underwhelming season where he claimed only two wins, compared to his teammate Max Verstappen’s 19. The 34-year-old also finished 290 points behind the Dutchman in the Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen amassed 575 points, while Perez claimed 285 points.
As Perez gears up for his 14th season in Formula 1, he is more cautious than ever. He explained that he had issues with the car while engineers developed his car. With much of the development being done, Perez expects to be at his very best in 2024.
Can’t wait to see this helmet out on track pic.twitter.com/wCVsBltduS
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) February 14, 2024
Nonetheless, the 34-year-old needs to perform. Firstly because he couldn’t prove his worth in Red Bull while driving the RB19 alongside Verstappen. Secondly, this is his last contractual year at the Austrian team. Therefore, the Mexican star needs to up his game if he wishes to stay in contention for a Red Bull contract in 2025.
Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda are all waiting in the wings for their Red Bull berth. Hence, Sergio Perez needs to be more than just a support driver in Red Bull to help them claim the Constructors’ Championship.
