Sergio Perez brutally honest about Max Verstappen challenge with F1 career on the line.
Sergio Perez heads into the 2024 F1 season with less than a year left on his Red Bull contract and fighting for his right to continue challenging Max Verstappen as his team-mate.
07:10 Thu, 25 Jan2024.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Sergio Perez has admitted he "regressed" during a challenging 2023 season and knows what he needs to do this year to keep his Red Bull seat. "I want to be able to achieve regularity, to build momentum," he said. "I think what we missed this year is progression. We started the year very high, tied with Max, but we were not able to progress throughout the season. We have sometimes even regressed.”

"So, I think that will be my main priority - to be able to progress throughout the season, whatever my starting point. It is important that, weekend after weekend, we continue to evolve and improve."

Perez ended the season in second place in the drivers' championship. It marked the first time Red Bull have ever had both their drivers finish in the top two places and, on the face of it, it was probably the best result he could have hoped for.

‘Sergio Perez brutally honest’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...appen-31961643


The critical issues Perez must solve to secure Red Bull future
26 January 8:00PM
Author Pepijn van der Hulst
RacingNews365

Expectations: No one at Red Bull or otherwise will be expecting Perez to defeat Verstappen from weekend to weekend in order to keep his seat alongside the Dutchman past 2024, yet with the gap so large on a consistent basis, there must be a more comparable performance. Qualifying was an Achilles heel last season was seemingly qualifying, where he failed to reach Q3 on numerous occasions. Sometimes this was not his fault, but crash after crash and mistake after mistake meant some of the failures were inexcusable.

Pace in the race was often very competitive with those at the front of the grid, yet his lowly grid positions often left him fighting with one arm tied behind his back. It felt as though he was too eager to be faster than Verstappen at points and, as such, Perez just fell victim to overdriving. Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko often mutters 'three-tenths' when it comes to qualifying: If Perez is able to qualify within that margin to Verstappen, there is nothing to be concerned about.

The Mexican must quietly accept the position of second driver as well. That's incredibly difficult, though it would almost certainly depressurise his situation, taking a weight off his shoulders and allowing him to drive freely. Comparisons rarely line up perfectly but perhaps it would pay off for Perez to give Nico Rosberg a call. The German - Bottas' predecessor at Mercedes - struggled alongside Hamilton from 2013 to 2016 and still managed to grab a world title. Perez is not expected to play many mental games with Verstappen, but Rosberg's flexibility is a potential example to follow.

‘The critical issues’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-perez-...l-seat-in-2024


Lando Norris may have saved Sergio Perez's Red Bull career with new McLaren contract
McLaren announced on Friday that Lando Norris has signed a contract extension with the team, effectively ending F1 champions Red Bull's chances of poaching the Brit this year
16:11 Fri, 26 Jan 2024
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

News of a new contract for Lando Norris is massive for two of the biggest Formula 1 teams. Firstly, it is massive for the future of McLaren. It is a team that has been on the up for several years now, but which has yet to break through as a bona fide title contender.

Secondly, it is just as significant for Red Bull, the team with which the Brit has been heavily linked for years. And with good reason - the F1 champions have been trying to sign him for years and Norris was at the top of the list for potential Sergio Perez replacements this year.

Horner and adviser Helmut Marko, a key decision-maker when it comes to drivers, must be sure that any driver with whom they replace Perez will fare better in his place. Norris was pretty much a guarantee of that - now that he's off the table for 2025, Perez's odds of winning a new deal himself have surely shortened.

‘May have saved Sergio Perez's Red Bull career’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...perez-31976275


Lando Norris explains why no top driver wants to be Max Verstappen's team-mate
Lando Norris ended speculation of a move to Red Bull by signing a multi-year McLaren contract extension.
22:43, Sat, Jan 27, 2024
By Sam Smith
Daily Express

Lando Norris has explained why driving alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull is a poisoned chalice for any top driver. Norris, who has been strongly linked with a move to join the reigning world champion, believes Red Bull are set up to allow Verstappen to succeed. The 24-year-old has explained why drivers might be persuaded against making that move, pointing out that they would be playing second-fiddle to the world’s best driver.

Asked by Sky Sports if he would be concerned about driving alongside the three-time world champion, Norris said: “It’s a longer discussion than saying that. Is Max Verstappen the best driver in Formula One history? Absolutely yes, I think he’s proved that well enough. He’s in a team that he’s very comfortable in. Everything is built up around him. For anyone - even for the Max of a few years ago - to go up against the Max of now, it’s extremely difficult.”

“I don’t think it’s a question of, ‘Are you scared [to drive alongside Verstappen]?’ I don’t think I’ll ever be scared of going against anyone. Even if you’re in a team, are you in a position to challenge someone straight away? Are you comfortable doing that? I think it’s a no for any driver. It takes time to adapt and it takes time to get things into place. If you want to go against the best driver in the world, it’s not the best thing to do. It’s not a smart move to do.”

‘Playing second-fiddle to the world’s best driver’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Verstappen-F1


Perez in Red Bull F1 'break' tease
Friday 26 January 2024 12:57
Sam Cook
GPFans

A supposed new cap for Red Bull's Sergio Perez has been leaked on X, with the Mexican now sponsored by KitKat, perhaps suggesting he may need to 'have a break'. Perez's KitKat hat: However, the leaking of Perez's new cap may suggest a slightly different design to the team's now ever-present livery, with light blue stripes making up part of the Mexican's new outfit.

La gorra 2024 de Sergio Pérez...

Sin palabras! pic.twitter.com/bPJhosde4R
— ��【 Alerta F1 】�� (@AlertaF1) January 25, 2024

KitKat's main slogan for a number of years now has been 'Have a break, have a KitKat', with a large number of hilarious advertising campaigns being born from that. So, could Perez's proposed new cap mean anything? Only time will tell.

‘KitKat’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...p-leaked-2024/


Perez singles out top priority for 2024 F1 season
26/01/2024 at 08:23
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Sergio Perez has made it clear that consistency and progress “weekend after weekend’ are his top priorities for the 2024 Formula 1 season. Consistency and improvement throughout his campaign, and eradicating any lingering vulnerabilities are Perez’s prime objectives for 2024.

“I want to be able to achieve regularity, to build momentum,” he told French weekly AutoHebdo. “I think what we missed this year is progression. So I think that will be my main priority: to be able to progress throughout the season, whatever my starting point. It is important that, weekend after weekend, we continue to evolve and improve.”

‘Consistency and progress weekend after weekend’;

https://f1i.com/news/498360-perez-si...f1-season.html