Sergio Perez: “I know I’m having a terrible season”
At a press conference at home, Sergio Perez was bombarded with questions about his performances and the future of his career at Red Bull. The Mexican driver notably admitted to having a "dreadful" season.
As Red Bull is grappling with worse performances than in recent years, having two drivers at the front is an absolute necessity. Sergio Perez, however, is often clearly outperformed by his teammate, Max Verstappen, and despite vehemently denying rumors of an end to his career, the Mexican admitted in a press conference this Thursday to the media, including Motors Inside, that he had a dreadful season.
The English term is harsh: “terrible”. Translatable as appalling, dreadful, the adjective is nevertheless realistic. Sergio Perez, questioned by numerous journalists, is nonetheless motivated for his home Grand Prix to achieve a great performance and help Red Bull in the fight for both championships.
« I know I had a terrible season. It had started really well, but it turned out to be really, really tough. If I get a good result, it could definitely change my season significantly on a personal level, so I am really motivated,” he explained.
Perez came back on his great performance last year, especially to explain that he could still have a chance to perform well in 2024 to maintain his chances of being a starter next season.
« Having my son with me on the podium, looking at me, I think this moment will stay with me forever. It’s something I hope he will remember all his life. These are the moments that really matter to me. And I hope to be able to experience it again this weekend.
« I think that the numbers and facts will remain internal with the engineers, we know what the difference was. Ferrari’s presence changes nothing. I think we want to win the constructors’ title, and finishing second or third makes no difference in the end. So, we really want to win it. For that, we need to have the two cars with the best performances and the best possible package.
According to rumors, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and now Liam Lawson were or are well placed to replace the Red Bull driver. Liam Lawson, who replaces the ousted Ricciardo, is now considered the favorite to support Max Verstappen in 2025.
« I think it’s Formula 1. Sometimes, the results don’t come, and you just have to make sure to keep your head down, focus on what you can control, and as for the rest, you shouldn’t worry about it. I feel like I’m on the same wavelength as the team. We found a big issue in Monza, and since then, we’ve been heading in the right direction,” explained Sergio Perez.
