In 2021, Sergio Perez made his much-anticipated move to Red Bull Racing, hoping to prove his worth as a top-tier Formula One driver. But just like his predecessors, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, Perez found it a daunting task to keep pace with his teammate Max Verstappen and master Red Bull’s powerful machinery.
As the new ground effect regulations took effect in 2022, Perez made a strong start and shone brightly on the grid. He clinched a stunning pole in Saudi Arabia and claimed an unforgettable victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, which was also the same weekend that he signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing until 2024.
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But as the season progressed and Red Bull managed to shave off weight from the car, Verstappen’s skill and preferred oversteering set-up allowed him to extract even more performance from the RB18. Meanwhile, Perez found himself struggling to adapt to the car’s changing dynamics and losing touch with his early-season form.
Despite a late-season surge, Perez ultimately fell short in his battle for second place in the drivers’ championship against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
At Red Bull’s 2023 launch, Perez was asked if he and the team had addressed the issues that led to his disappointing 2022 performance. He confidently responded, “Yes, certainly. We have identified areas where we need to improve and I’ve been pushing the team in a certain direction. We believe the RB19 is already going to be a better car, but ultimately it will come down to how well we adapt to it and extract its full potential.”
Perez took responsibility for his struggles and acknowledged that his side of the garage had made mistakes in the car’s setup. He stated, “Learning from our mistakes, we realized that we took the wrong direction with the setup at times. But towards the end of the season, we figured out what we were doing wrong and I believe we are now heading in the right direction.”
