Sergio Perez Wants to Go Back to Winning Days but Red Bull Wants to Stick to Max Verstappen’s Strengths

Red Bull have dominated the 2023 season as they have won 16 of the 17 races so far. While the team have been a class apart this season, one major point of concern for them has been the difference in the performances of their two drivers. Max Verstappen has registered 14 of Red Bull’s victories this season while Sergio Perez has won just two. One of the major arguments that have been suggested for Verstappen’s dominance this season has been that Red Bull have produced a car that is more suited to his strengths. While the Dutchman has himself dismissed such claims, a recent report by AMuS has now emerged that Perez has asked Red Bull to get the car specifications back that suited him. However, the Milton Keynes outfit have declined to do so.

The Mexican had a decent start to the 2023 season as he had matched Verstappen in the first four races. At the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, both drivers shared two victories each. However, it was the fifth race weekend in Miami that was the turning point.

A weekend where nothing worked out for us, first of all I want to thank my entire @redbullracing team very much for getting my car ready on time, we have the best mechanics in the world.

Let’s think about the closing, there are still 5 very important races left and we are going… pic.twitter.com/UOT0PCkqlQ

— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) October 8, 2023

Although Perez had grabbed pole for the race and Verstappen only started ninth, it was the Dutchman who emerged victorious. Ever since that race in Miami took place, Verstappen has now won 12 of the past 13 races.

On the other hand, not only has Perez failed to win but he has also struggled to finish in the podium spots. A recent report states that the primary reason why the 33-year-old has struggled is because Red Bull brought an upgrade from the Barcelona weekend onwards that catered more to Verstappen’s strengths.

Red Bull decline Perez’s request

The report states Sergio Perez failed to pose enough of a threat ever since the Spanish Grand Prix after Red Bull brought a “new underbody” to the car. The report adds that this new specification definitely made the Red Bull faster but that it did not suit the driving style of the Mexican.

Perez himself admitted to the same earlier this year when he said (as quoted by auto-motor-und-sport.de), “The driving characteristics no longer suited my driving style. The moment came again when I had to think more about how I had to drive the car in order to be fast“.

He then added that while the upgrades made the car faster, only he found it “harder” to drive. Since the 33-year-old has struggled ever since this new specification was brought, he has now asked Red Bull as per the report to go back to how the set-up of the car was before Barcelona.

However, as per the rules, a team can only have one set-up for both cars. Hence, since Verstappen has been winning week in and week out, Red Bull have declined Perez’s request as per the report.

Since Perez has himself admitted that the current set-up of the car does not suit him, there have also been rampant rumors that Red Bull have deliberately produced a car that caters to Max Verstappen’s strengths. However, both the Dutchman and team principal Christian Horner have denied such rumors.

Max Verstappen denies “b*******” theories of Red Bull favoring him over Sergio Perez

Since Max Verstappen has been unbeatable this season, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff cleverly questioned the Dutchman’s domination. When asked to comment on the 26-year-old’s domination earlier in the season, the Austrian began by crediting the Red Bull driver but then soon after he also passed some controversial remarks.

As quoted by the-race.com, Wolff analyzed Verstappen’s domination this season by stating, “Whether it’s his (Verstappen’s) ability to create a car around himself that is just very tricky to control – but fast if you can [control it] – and that makes those gaps“. Since the 51-year-old questioned if Red Bull were designing a car that suited Verstappen’s strengths, the Dutchman was also asked the same question.

However, the three-time champion vehemently denied such speculations by referring to such theories as “b*******“. He then added (as quoted by the-race.com), “I just drive the car the fastest way possible. I’m not there to tell the guys to give me more front end because that’s how I like it. I just say design me the fastest car and I’ll drive around that“.

Similarly, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also dismissed rumors that claimed that his side designed a car this season that suited Verstappen’s strengths. As quoted by formula1.com, the 49-year-old stated that Red Bull’s intentions are simply to design the fastest car possible. He believes that it is then the duty of the drivers to adapt, and those who are able to do so are the ones who are among the elite.