Sergio Perez says there are no easy fixes for the issues at Red Bull
After months of speculation about his future, Sergio Perez delivered a solid performance in Zandvoort. Although the Mexican driver was still far from matching teammate Max Verstappen, he still managed to bring home solid points. However, P6 finishes are unlikely to prevent McLaren from taking the Championship lead.
McLaren are 30 points behind Red Bull in the standings, a relatively small gap in the constructors Championship. All it takes is a McLaren 1-2 finish or a Red Bull DNF for that advantage to be erased.
According to Sergio Perez, the team’s performance struggles will take time to rectify. He explains that whilst Red Bull understands the RB20’s problems, there are no immediate solutions.
Red Bull fall to third-fastest team
The big concern for Red Bull is not just their own decline in performance.
Whilst McLaren are clearly the fastest team, even Ferrari and Mercedes are capable of outperforming the Austrian squad.
Considering that Ferrari are yet to introduce their next major updates (due for Monza), Red Bull will be concerned about the SF-24’s pace.
Speaking post-race, Perez explained the situation at Milton Keynes:
“In general, we didn’t have the pace today. McLaren and Ferrari were faster today.
“The good news is that we understand what’s happening with the car.
“We have a fundamental problem with the car that will take time to solve. But it’s a lot clearer where we need to improve.
“So we’ll see in Monza, a completely different circuit, where we can be.”
Upgrades will take time
As explained extensively by LWOS during the summer break, Red Bull’s development has been stagnant.
Upgrades intended to improve the RB20 in Hungary barely made an impact, leaving the team vulnerable to further advances from their immediate rivals.
Whilst the Milton Keynes factory is working on solutions, they will take time to arrive. Moreover, given their trajectory in recent months, there is no guarantee future updates will be effective.
Red Bull have lost their momentum, failing to win a race in the last five races. At least for the time being, there is no certainty this situation can be rectified.
