JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 19: Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing, second-placed Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, and the Red Bull Racing team celebrate after the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 19, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Perez undoubtedly hopes for another victory in Jeddah, but faces a challenge in the form of his teammate Max Verstappen, who has been victorious in every race since the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mexican had a good start to the 2024 season, his last with Red Bull under his current agreement. He secured a second place behind Verstappen at the season opener in Bahrain, exactly what the team expects from him.
As Perez looks ahead to this week’s race, he expressed his anticipation in the Red Bull race preview: “I’m excited to go to Jeddah this weekend after our strong team performance in Bahrain. Although the first race wasn’t perfect, we have a solid foundation to build on and plenty of room for improvements with the car.”
He added: “The race in Jeddah always provides a lot of excitement and can be a close battle. I had a fantastic win last year and would love to replicate that success.”
Verstappen, who dominated the race in Bahrain, maintained a cautious view while highlighting the differences between Sakhir and Jeddah. He said: “The team had a fantastic start to the season, and I’m looking forward to the challenges of Jeddah. This circuit is a high-speed semi-street track with less tire degradation compared to Bahrain. The warmer weather also adds an interesting dimension to the performance differences between teams.”
He continued: “Last year, we had a good performance on this track, so I hope we can achieve a similar result and deliver an exceptional performance for the team.”
Verstappen aims to extend his winning streak in the last eight Grand Prix events, which started with the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. His goal is to secure his fourth consecutive title in Formula 1. In the previous Jeddah race in 2023, he finished in second place behind Perez and will be determined to improve on that result this time.
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