Sergio Pérez: “90% of drivers would struggle to keep up with Max Verstappen”

In Hungary, Sergio Pérez did better, but it was still far from perfect. After a poor qualifying session that placed him 9th on the starting grid, the Mexican managed to climb up to third place to secure a podium. However, even though his pace and attitude during the race were praised by his team principal Christian Horner, the shortcomings in qualifying still persist.

A tremendous pressure

Sergio Pérez, in an interview for Mundo Deportivo, first recalled the immense pressure one must face at Red Bull. He explains that the Austrian team is not like any other team and as a driver, there is no room for error.

« If you are not mentally strong, you cannot be at Red Bull. You should not underestimate the pressure that you are under here » he declared before continuing: « Red Bull is a team where if you have a bad session, you have five drivers in sight. It’s a constant pressure from the press. In three years, I have never seen this in any other team before. »

Sergio Pérez also doesn’t fail to mention that the margin for error is not allowed at Red Bull. As we have seen with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, or more recently Nyck de Vries, the slightest mistake or lack of performance can be fatal. « With Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes, all the drivers have had bad moments, but it’s OK. It’s not like at Red Bull where you have a bad moment and you have to leave the team » stated the Mexican driver, specifying that the Milton Keynes team is uncompromising with its drivers.

An untouchable teammate?

“Furthermore, Pérez emphasizes the magnificent performance of his teammate Max Verstappen. Indeed, the Dutchman has made few errors since the start of the season, and even none. In comparison to Sergio Pérez, the difference is clear. And the Mexican is aware of it: « 90% of the drivers would falter alongside Max Verstappen », he declared.”

He continued by saying that very few drivers on the current grid could compete with Verstappen, hence the difficulty of being his teammate at Red Bull. « I’m not saying there aren’t any, but very few drivers on the current grid could beat Verstappen with the same car. People sitting on their couches watching the race underestimate how sensitive the drivers are to the setups », he then explained.

Not comfortable with driving?

The Mexican admits that he is not very comfortable in the RB19 at this stage of the season. Despite a great start to the season with two wins, the Mexican has started to struggle since the Miami Grand Prix. Since then, he seems to lack rhythm and is no longer in tune with his car. « There are cars that make things easier for you, there are moments in the season when you are more comfortable with the car and it starts to become uncontrollable, you have to compensate a lot for the handling and it doesn’t come naturally to you » he explained.

However, Pérez is aware of this loss of speed but prefers to put it into perspective while waiting to regain his best level. « And in the end, we start to see very small differences that become very big. I am calm because I give my best », said the Mexican before concluding: « public opinion will always be there and it’s normal. I focus on my own. »

There is one more Grand Prix, in Belgium, for Sergio Pérez to perform before the summer break. He must focus on qualifying as the pace is there in the race. The answer will be given this Friday for the qualifying of the Belgian Grand Prix.