Perez having to adjust driving style to suit Red Bull F1 car
Sergio Perez admits he is having to adjust his driving style to adapt to his Red Bull Formula 1 car.
In Bahrain he struggled on the medium tyre in Q2 and started 11th, and then in the race he charged up to fifth after an engine issue on the formation lap saw him to start from the pitlane.
Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko suggested that the Mexican was losing out to teammate Max Verstappen in a couple of places at Sakhir in qualifying, notably Turn 1.
“The negative is that I lose the time in in two corners,” said Perez. “But here the way the wind is changing, and given that you get just a single lap, it hasn’t been easy to make that progression.
“The wind is changing all the time, but we can see that progression has been made.
“There are some specific problems related to the way that I’m driving the car, I have to adjust my driving to the car.
“Firstly I need to make sure that I’m driving the way the car needs to be driven, and then work on that. But it’s taking me a while, because it’s very different to what I’m used to.”
Perez said he was encouraged by his strong form in the race as he tried to recover from the pitlane start.
“Exactly, that’s a positive, that the race pace was strong. But there are so many things that are still clicking.
“I think at the moment that everything comes together, we are going to be pretty strong," he said.
"We just have to be solid, and get the pace done properly, and it should be pretty good.
“My race never settled down. I lack laps, and you are against the time all the time in that regard. But I enjoyed the understanding with the car, we are starting to feel one another a bit more, so in that regard I’m pleased.
“I was pleased just by the fact that we managed to get those kilometres under my belt. Missing Q3 really delayed our progression.
“It’s a real shame. I didn’t maximise qualifying, but things are starting to click a bit more, lap by lap. The most important thing was those kilometres that I managed to get under my belt.”
Related video
Previous article
How Verstappen's Bahrain mistake can only make him stronger
Next article
Norris has made the next step, says McLaren F1 boss Seidl
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Sergio Perez |
| Teams | Red Bull Racing |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
Hamilton wants new Mercedes F1 contract soon
F1: Red Bull and the curse of the second seat
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button.
How Red Bull's deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The Barcelona practice times that prove Red Bull has hidden pace
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Friday practice for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, but there was one major encouraging sign for Red Bull. However, making good on that gain will require Max Verstappen to avoid repeating a mistake that left him well down the FP2 order...
Why McLaren doesn’t doubt Ricciardo can escape his ‘dark’ place
Three points finishes from as many starts represents a decent opening innings on paper, but Daniel Ricciardo has endured a tough start to his McLaren career - only magnified his teammate's excellent form. Yet both he and the team have good reason to expect a turnaround soon.
What needs to “change” for Red Bull is ending Verstappen’s errors
OPINION: Going up against the dominant force of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton was always going to demand the best from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But after making a couple more errors during the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver showed there's a small gap he still needs to close in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight.
The "subtle" Red Bull upgrades that kept it in the Portugal F1 mix
Red Bull's Portuguese Grand Prix fortunes were decidedly second best to Mercedes', but the result skews the potential that the team had at Portimao. With a new set of updates, the team looks good going forward into the rest of 2021's spicy F1 competition
