After starting the season with a series of doubles, Red Bull suffered a sudden slowdown, partly due to the competition who made a big leap forward. Partly to the demerit of the Austrian team who perhaps wanted to go further with the RB20, a truly difficult car to manage and drive. The one who has the most difficulty managing the RB20 between Verstappen and Perez is undoubtedly the Mexican who has collected zero points in two weekends. A heavy double zero, which dropped him from second place in the drivers' championship to fifth. Even from a constructors' point of view, the absence of Perez is starting to be important, especially given the excellent form of McLaren with both drivers. Given Perez's recent results, Max Verstappen tried to encourage the Mexican and the team in a post-race interview in Canada.
Verstappen would like Perez closer
Sergio Perez has just renewed with Red Bull on a two-year contract. We know that contracts are not completely binding, least of all in Red Bull, however the team has every interest in letting Perez remain in the team, given the complicity with Max. This season is proving to be more difficult than expected for Red Bull but above all for Perez. Not only has the Mexican not yet won a victory but his points finish is not even that obvious. McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes permanently occupy that area, despite having a less competitive single-seater on paper. Perez's problem has always been qualifying, even in past years. But compared to the past he seems to suffer more from the car.
To maintain leadership in the championship constructors but also to help Verstappen himself with strategies you need two cars in front, this was also clarified by the worried Dutchman, perhaps due to the direction this season is taking.
"Checo? I think the damage was done in qualifying and starting from the back in these conditions is always very difficult. Then I saw his retirement. I knew I had to get a good result, so as not to allow the other teams to catch up too much. As long as you keep winning, and your rivals finish in second and third place, you won't lose many points. Sometimes you can do solo races, but we want to have two cars in front. And I have no doubt that the situation will improve soon, then we need to work on our car to make it easier to drive. Then I'm sure we'll both be back at the front, like at the beginning of the year."
Christian Horner also wanted to give his energy to Perez, who in Barcelona will have to serve a 3 position penalty for having returned to the pits after an impact with the barriers, and in unsafe conditions. "Every time he seems to be cornered, he then recovers. He's tough and these results hurt him more than anything else. He will be determined to get back to the front and show everyone what we know he is capable of, as he has done in the first four GPs, already since Barcelona”.
Source statements: FormulaPassion
