Sergio Perez has left the Brazilian Grand Prix with just one point, obtained thanks to the eighth place in the sprint race, while in the race he only finished 11th after a difficult weekend. Yet, surprisingly, the Mexican driver declared that the one in Sao Paulo was “One of his best weekends” of 2024. A statement that has caused discussion, especially considering the performance of his teammate Max Verstappen, capable of recovering from 17th position to the victory, confirming once again his dominance on the track.
A complicated weekend, but Perez sees the bright side
Perez's weekend at Interlagos was a difficult one from the start. The Mexican only managed to break into the top 10 in the sprint race, where he finished eighth, scoring his only point of the Brazilian trip. In qualifying, Perez finished 13th in both the main race and the sprint, while Verstappen, in much more adverse conditions, fought his way up from 17th to victory, bringing home crucial points for Red Bull.
During the Grand Prix, Perez spun on the opening lap, forced to restart from the back of the field and recover to 11th, but remained far from the points zone. In the end, he finished 51 seconds behind Verstappen, a significant gap that highlights the Mexican's difficulties in a season that has been anything but easy.
Perez sees the glass half full
Despite the difficulties, Perez found positives in his weekend in Brazil, an interpretation that seems almost paradoxical when compared to his teammate’s dominant performance. “There are some positives from the weekend, and obviously Max’s win is very important for the team,” said Perez. “Pace-wise, it was a very strong weekend. We put the car on the track and we were immediately very competitive in free practice.” Words that almost seem to ignore the reality of the final result and the fact that Red Bull, for a team that aims to win in every race, certainly cannot be satisfied with just one point.
Merciless comparison with Verstappen
Perez's statement is even more surprising when you consider the comparison with Verstappen, who in Brazil showed why he is the three-time world champion and undisputed leader of Red Bull. While the Mexican is content to call it a good weekend due to his pace, Verstappen dominated with a comeback that thrilled the crowd and highlighted the shortcomings of his teammate. The contrast between the two drivers is clear: on the one hand, Verstappen is now close to his fourth world title; on the other, Perez has dropped to eighth place in the drivers' standings, last among the drivers of the top teams. A fact that Red Bull cannot ignore.
A future in the balance for Perez
Despite a contract that ties him to Red Bull for next season, Sergio Perez's future seems far from certain. The team has already announced that final decisions will be made after the final race in Abu Dhabi, and the list of drivers interested in his seat continues to grow. In a season in which Red Bull has proven to be one of the most competitive teams, the team cannot ignore the performance gap between its two drivers. And while Verstappen guarantees points and wins, Perez struggles to justify his position.
For a team that has shown it can dominate, settling for eleventh place and a single point cannot be considered a satisfactory result. With rumors of his exit and the pressure of a performance below expectations, Perez finds himself in a delicate position: he will have to prove in the final races that he can be an asset to the team, otherwise he risks leaving room for a new generation of talent ready to take over.
Source statements: RacingNews365
