Max Verstappen is firm in his belief that Red Bull’s top priority is to maintain their advantage in both Formula 1 championships, rather than focusing solely on Sergio Perez’s difficulties.
Perez’s ongoing string of poor performances continued at the Belgium race before the summer break, where he started on the front row but finished in eighth place.
His meager contribution of 28 points over the past eight races has allowed McLaren to close the gap in the Constructors’ Championship to just 42 points.
Despite Red Bull’s management evaluating Perez’s position in the team, he will remain alongside Verstappen after the break.
Perez’s struggles have not only exposed Verstappen, but also highlighted McLaren and Mercedes as serious contenders in recent events.
However, Verstappen, who hasn’t won a race in four attempts, believes it would be unfair to solely blame Perez for his recurring problems.
“We are teammates and we always provide feedback on the car, and that’s what Checo is doing,” he said. “He has always fully contributed to that.
“We can’t deny that the past few weekends have been difficult. Some have also been unlucky.
“At Silverstone, the qualifying incident meant starting from the back, and it’s very difficult to make progress in a race like that.
“People starting at the front also ended up moving backwards.
“It’s tough. I know he wants to do better. I know he’s working hard. He doesn’t take it for granted.
“From our side, we just need to focus on performance because our car has been challenging at times.
“On Fridays, we’re always struggling with the balance, which makes it hard to be consistent.
“So I don’t think it’s entirely fair to put all the blame on him.
“Even for myself, the past few weekends have been a challenge to extract the best from the car, and the team is aware of that.
“We’re trying to find a better operating window for the car, something more predictable, so we can build on our performance from FP1 to the race with a stable balance.”
Perez was on the verge of achieving a crucial outcome at Spa-Francorchamps when he secured third place in wet conditions, eventually moving up to second after Verstappen’s penalty was applied.
However, while Perez encountered difficulties during the race and dropped down the field, Verstappen, who recovered to fourth, has emphasized that the main issue for Red Bull lies in the speed of the RB20.
“I believe our primary concern is the vehicle,” he asserted. “That should be our main focus.
“When you analyze Checo’s performance over the weekend, it was largely positive, I must say.
“Of course, during the race, it became evident that we are struggling with the tires. I still believe that tire longevity is our primary concern. Therefore, it should be our top priority.”
When asked if he had discussed Perez’s precarious situation with him, Verstappen replied, “Not specifically about the situation.
“We simply converse about what we can control, which is our ability to have a faster car.”
He further stated, “We discuss the car’s balance and what we require from it. That has always been a strong aspect of our communication.”
Photo by Max Verstappen Instagram
