Horner believes that Perez’s strong performance at the Brazilian GP will give him a fresh start
Checo Perez had one of his best weekends in his last five outings. Horner believes that his performances will bring him a lot mentally.
Sergio Perez found his form again in Brazil. The Mexican driver was coming off a bitter retirement at home and several challenging races. At Interlagos, the Red Bull driver made a strong comeback on the track and fought until the end with Fernando Alonso for third place. His Friday had been sabotaged by an incident. During qualifying, the yellow flag, caused by Oscar Piastri’s spin, worked against him even though he had shown promising pace.
A breath of fresh air
With this 4th place, obtained after many great duels, Perez gains a little breathing room on Lewis Hamilton. The Mexican driver finished ahead of him, including a nice overtaking move in the early laps, allowing Checo Perez to soar into 4th position. His intense battle with Alonso also showed a renewed confidence behind the wheel. “I think he drove brilliantly,” declared Christian Horner. “He had a small wobble at turn 2, which allowed Fernando, who was quite fast on the straight lines today, to try his luck. But he did his best to hold on. I believe beating Hamilton and leaving with 12 points on Sunday will do him good. 3rd in the sprint and then 4th on Sunday starting from 9th on the grid is positive. I think he scored some very good points.”
Before the start of the Grand Prix in Austin, Perez had been happy with his performances in the simulator. Although his form didn’t transfer onto the track in the United States and Mexico, the 33-year-old driver seemed to be back in Brazil. “I think it was important for his confidence,” stated the Red Bull team principal. “This is the Checo we know, and we know what he is capable of. It will just give him the boost he needs to head to Vegas, another street race, the type of track where he always performs well. And then the following week, it will be Abu Dhabi.”
Words of encouragement that will have to restore Perez’s confidence, who hasn’t been on the podium since the Monza Grand Prix. An eternity for a driver who drivers the best car on the grid. A big fan of street circuits, Perez will be expected by his team in Las Vegas (5 out of his 6 victories were achieved in urban environments). He must absolutely have a flawless Grand Prix, but above all, he needs to get closer to his garage neighbor and distance himself from the midfield if he wants to keep his seat in the world championship-winning team.
Before the start of the weekend, Hamilton was only 20 points behind Perez in the championship. Now, the two drivers are separated by 32 points. The nature of the upcoming circuits should, on paper, help the Mexican driver retain his honorary title of runner-up.
