For months, Sergio Perez has been the subject of criticism from fans and insiders, who felt he was not up to the standard of his teammate Max Verstappen, considered by many to be the reference driver in Red Bull. His position in the team has been questioned on several occasions, with doubts raised about his ability to compete at the highest level and ensure the success of the team.
However, in recent weeks, the situation has started to change dramatically. Red Bull is no longer the dominant car of 2023, and for the first time, even Verstappen has shown signs of difficulty. The world champion, who for months has led the team with a series of impressive victories, now finds himself facing similar problems to those experienced by Perez, bringing the two drivers almost to the same level.
Red Bull's new reality: a car that no longer dominates
The RB20, which had shown overwhelming superiority for much of the season, seems to have lost its competitive edge. The Austrian team's latest results have been disappointing: At the Monza Grand Prix, Red Bull finished sixth and seventh, with Perez closest to Verstappen all weekend, a fact that surprised many. The team's underperforming performances highlighted that the car is no longer the same one that dominated at the beginning of the season. If before it was only Perez who had to deal with a car that was difficult to handle, now even Verstappen seems to be feeling the effects of a car that no longer responds as it should.
Perez says: “I am not Red Bull’s problem”
Sergio Perez wasted no time in commenting on this emerging parity with Verstappen. The Mexican driver stressed that Red Bull's problems are not due to a lack of talent or preparation on his part, but rather to technical problems that now also involve his teammate. In his statements, Perez wanted to highlight the following:
“I have been criticized a lot in the last few months because I was having difficulty getting the car to Max’s level. But now, suddenly, he is facing similar problems to me. Maybe now it will be understood that I was not the problem, but that there were intrinsic difficulties that the team had to face”.
Words interpreted by many as a provocation towards Verstappen and Red Bull itself, which had to face a more complex season than expected.
Red Bull looking for solutions
The situation is now very delicate for Red Bull. The team, which seemed to be heading towards another season of absolute domination, must deal with a car that has lost much of its competitiveness. This drop in performance has put both drivers in difficulty, although Perez's words suggest that the problems had been present for some time. The Mexican, who now sees a glimmer of hope, has taken advantage of Verstappen's difficulties to reclaim his place and his reputation within the team.
The goal for Red Bull is now to quickly find technical solutions to restore competitiveness to the RB20. The team must understand whether the difficulties encountered by its drivers are the result of a wrong adaptation of the car or whether there are deeper problems to address.
