SERGIO PEREZ'S COMMENTS SPEAK VOLUMES AHEAD OF AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX

Red Bull and Sergio Perez believe they have identified the root of their recent performance issues.

F1's dominant team have had their massive pace advantage wiped out by their rivals this season, with world champion Max Verstappen having to work much harder for race wins. Lando Norris of McLaren has emerged as Verstappen's main rival, finishing a close second in the last two races.

The British driver could have potentially won the previous race in Spain had Verstappen not overtaken him at the first turn. With Ferrari and Mercedes hot on their heels, it seems that Verstappen's brilliance, rather than the car's performance, is currently making the difference.

However, of particular concern to Red Bull will be the ongoing struggles of Perez, who sits down in fifth in the standings. The Mexican has been plagued by a series of early qualifying exits which have impacted his races.

He finished a disappointing eighth in Spain, having been handed a three-place grid penalty after Red Bull instructed him to nurse a severely damaged car back to the pits in Canada. That was to avoid triggering a safety car period while Verstappen was leading the race.

Despite these challenges, Perez, who recently penned a new contract with the team, is optimistic ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. Speaking before the third sprint weekend of the season, he said: "My weekend in Spain was difficult, but we learned from that. I had problems with the balance of the car all weekend.

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"We couldn't get the set-up consistent and in a window for qualifying or to race the race we wanted, the grid place penalty also harmed us. This weekend, in Austria, we have everything under control to have a smoother weekend.

"The team and I know in which areas we have to improve, and we are going to do it. It will be my job to get the most out of the car, because we will have limited running due to the sprint format weekend, so I have to achieve as much as possible in the first [and only] practice and attack from the start."

Highlighting the need for a strong weekend at Red Bull's home race, he added: "We want and need a full weekend. Austrian Grand Prix is always a great race. It's Red Bull's home and that always makes the atmosphere brilliant. So I'm already looking forward to it."

2024-06-28T08:37:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd