Sergio Perez believes Red Bull’s upgrades to the RB20 have been detrimental to his performance. The 34-year-old argues that his deficit to Max Verstappen comes from a lack of confidence in the car.
Sergio Perez blames updates for lack of pace
The last two seasons have been very difficult for Perez. An inability to optimise his machinery has seen Max Verstappen outscore him by over 500 points since the beginning of 2023.
When Red Bull were a dominant force last year, Perez’s struggles did not impact their position in the standings.
Unfortunately for the Mexican driver, this season’s campaign is an altogether different prospect. Ferrari and McLaren are both contending for the Championship, thanks to significant progress with their mid-season development.
To make matters worse for Perez, the other top teams have evenly matched driver line-ups. This only magnifies his struggles with the RB20.
However, the 6-time winner argues that updates to his Red Bull have negatively impacted his performance:
“It started very well,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
“One of the best starts I’ve had to an F1 season – until the upgrades began to arrive.
“That is where everything began to get complicated.
“It’s been a difficult season, with a car you don’t have confidence with.”
Improved performances urgently needed
Red Bull’s upgrades have generated plenty of attention in 2024. In an unusual trend for the Austrian squad, their mid-season development has been relatively stagnant.
Their most recent floor update in COTA is the first modification to yield significant improvement since the Japanese GP – all the way back in April.
After a relatively strong race in Azerbaijan, when Perez spent the majority of the race funning ahead of Verstappen, the 34-year-old believed his complaints about the RB20’s development had been vindicated.
However, Red Bull’s progress in the subsequent races at Singapore and COTA have largely eliminated Perez’s ability to use upgrades as a shield for his struggles.
As Liam Lawson cements himself as a contender to join Red Bull in 2025, excuses are unlikely to help Perez protect his position.
Only by making a clear step forward in performance (one he hasn’t achieved for several years) can he make a credible case to Christian Horner and Helmut Marko that he should be retained.
