Perez makes comparison with Ricciardo: "We are in the same boat"

F1 News

25 August 2021 at 18:17
Last update 25 August 2021 at 20:34
  • GPblog.com

Sergio Perez's racing prowess has not been as strong every weekend in his first season at Red Bull Racing. It's clear he's got the speed, but he's not quite as consistent as he'd like. His situation more or less parallels that of Daniel Ricciardo, who is the very driver Red Bull have been trying to replace since his departure.

Pérez is already the third attempt by Red Bull to replace Ricciardo, who is in a similar situation at McLaren, where he is currently overshadowed by Lando Norris. The 31-year-old Mexican makes the comparison himself. "We are in the same boat in terms of our car and power unit, because they are so different from what we are used to," he explained to The Race.

"Having a different power unit also means adapting your driving style and different techniques, also in the race. We have to adapt to probably the biggest differences there are," the Red Bull driver continued. In addition, the scant training time the drivers have this year plays a role. "It's very difficult to adapt when you have so little time," Pérez adds.

He continues: "It's about tenths of a second, and sometimes there are one or two things you have to adjust and then suddenly you get the lap times out." According to Pérez, however, this works very differently for the Red Bull car than the Racing Point he was used to. "Sometimes you try something different, in the way you were used to, and then you turn out to be a second above it. At that moment you realise that you have to do things differently," said Pérez.