It could have been a weekend of confirmations considering the two previous races, where he reached the podium in both. Instead the Australian GP was a disappointment for Sergio Perez. Fifth place, but above all the pace achieved, are the synthesis of an anonymous race, yes, but also with a touch of bad luck.
Absence of step
The retirement of teammate Verstappen was the opportunity for Perez to contest a solid grand prix, to show a Red Bull that he too can bring important results for the team.
The Scuderia from Milton Keynes had relied on him to try to recover and, why not, get on the podium. If the penalty obtained after qualifying for impeding already made him start further back than expected, the race pace certainly didn't help him. 56 seconds. Here is the final gap between the Mexican and the grand prize winner, Carlos Sainz. Almost a minute characterized by less talent than his teammate - who had also worked magic in qualifying to win pole position - as well as a lack of balance in the car. And, in all this, also bad luck.
Tire management and more...Sergio Perez's Australian GP
Since Friday, the critical issues of the RB20 in the management of the front tires were clear for all to see. The difficulty in finding the correct set-up to overcome the problem was evident in the race.
It's unusual to see Red Bull contest a grand prix like this, but it always struggles on circuits of this kind. It happened last year at Singapore, for example. It should also be considered that Pirelli brought softer compounds to Australia which increased the possibility of graining and degradation.
To make matters worse, Perez was also unlucky. The car had loading problems which led the RB20 to lose around 20 points. From the start his real pace on the hard tires was identical to that of the leaders.
It therefore becomes inevitable to ask: what happened?
It's all the fault... of a tear off
Indeed it seems that a determining factor was an off team which, according to what Christian Horner told the media, is finished under the bottom of the number 11 car:
“As he overtook Fernando, he noticed a tear off under the floor. It has settled in an area where it causes significant aerodynamic loss. After overtaking Fernando, the car wasn't behaving as it should. From there we started to see the degradation of the tires, and also at the end of the second stint, which was unusual for our cars."
It may seem like a small thing, though Charles Leclerc had already shown us in the past how much a tear off can affect performance. In Perez's case he deviated some flows that lost aerodynamic load points.
The ghosts of the past, present and future
A disappointing weekend that throws the specters of last year back onto Sergio Perez, when there were rumors of a possible replacement even while the championship was underway. Ghosts that never actually left.
The Mexican's future is always hanging by a thread... Unlike last season, however, he is proving to be a solid rider, even if he is not even close to his teammate.
Of course, Verstappen is in another category compared to him, but there are several drivers at the door just waiting for the green light to join Red Bull and take his place. Between these Verstappen's possible next companions are Sainz.
He has already made a false step in 2024, but the extenuating circumstances of the case made Perez breathe a sigh of relief in the Australian GP.
At the moment.
