Christian Horner Pleased with Sergio Pérez’s Performance in Hungary
Starting from 9th position on the grid, Sergio Pérez made an impressive comeback to secure 3rd place. A race that will give confidence to the Mexican according to Horner, who is greatly satisfied with his driver after this Hungarian Grand Prix.
On Saturday, Sergio Pérez once again experienced a challenging qualifying session. While his teammate Max Verstappen was battling for pole position, Pérez struggled to find his rhythm among the top contenders. He made it to Q3, but only secured the 9th position on the starting grid. After his recent poor qualifying performances, there was some improvement, but the Mexican driver was still far from achieving his goals. Furthermore, the race promised to be difficult due to the high temperatures and the crucial need to manage tire wear. Adding to the challenges was the difficulty of overtaking on the Hungaroring circuit, leaving Sergio Pérez uncertain about his chances of reaching the podium. Especially considering that ahead of him were the fast-paced Mercedes and McLaren teams.
However, the Mexican driver had a brilliant race to secure the third step of the podium. With a high pace while managing his tires, Sergio Pérez managed to catch up to Hamilton and the McLarens, his main rivals for a podium finish, to claim a nice result.
A performance that Christian Horner did not fail to highlight on Sky’s microphone after the Grand Prix. “I think he had a great race today,” declared the Team Principal of Red Bull, before specifying that “His overtakes were courageous, his pace was fast.”
Even still far from Max Verstappen, who seems truly untouchable, Christian Horner praises the qualities of his Mexican driver. « The way he gained positions, passing Carlos Sainz, passing Fernando Alonso, passing Oscar Piastri. The strategy he had, he was on fire today and I think even Nico Rosberg should agree with that » explained Horner. Indeed, Sergio Pérez credited the spectators with impressive overtakes, especially the one on Oscar Piastri, negotiated over several corners. Aggressiveness, boldness, and success, that’s what delights Christian Horner.
« A race like this gives you nothing but immense confidence, and I think his overtakes, the bravery he displayed – for me, it was really a statement of motivation today to say, “Listen, don’t write me off.” It will give him a lot of confidence », concluded Christian Horner about Perez’s race.
In Spa, at the last Grand Prix before the summer break, the Mexican will have to do even better in qualifying to give himself more breathing space and, above all, to give himself more chances of getting on the podium more easily.
