Helmut Marko expects a ‘strong comeback’ from Sergio Perez after a disastrous Japanese GP

Helmut Marko admitted that Sergio Perez had a disappointing weekend in Japan.

Helmut Marko expects a ‘strong comeback’ from Sergio Perez after a disastrous Japanese GP

Sergio Perez and Dr. Helmut Marko (image via IMAGO)

Sergio Perez had another disappointing race this season. The Mexican driver had multiple incidents at the Japanese GP and retired his car twice. The 33-year-old went home with no points this weekend. However, Red Bull Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko insists that Checo will bounce back from this setback and improve his performance in the coming races.

Marko claimed that Perez’s struggle had started during Free Practice sessions. The 33-year-old was on the backfoot since Friday and failed to recover from his early woes. This resulted in Checo being unable to get the most out of the car at the challenging Suzuka circuit. Helmut Marko told Viaplay, “He had an unfortunate day which originated in the free practice sessions.”

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The Red Bull advisor admitted that Sergio Perez failed to lap at the same pace as teammate Max Verstappen. Marko mentioned that things only went downhill for the Mexican driver in the race. However, the 80-year-old was convinced that Checo will be back at the front in the coming races. He said, “He couldn’t match Max’s speed and today just everything went wrong, but we are confident of a strong comeback from him.”

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Also Read: Frustrated Lando Norris blames Sergio Perez for costing him ’10 seconds’ under Virtual Safety Car at the Japanese GP

Sergio Perez has another bad day in the office

Checo has struggled throughout the 2023 F1 season. The 33-year-old has failed to challenge teammate Max Verstappen. The Japanese GP was no different with the Mexican driver making contact with drivers on more than one occasion. At the race start, Perez pushed Lewis Hamilton onto the grass. With the Red Bull driver then making contact with Kevin Magnussen.

Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez (image via IMAGO)

Sergio Perez allegedly held up Lando Norris during the Virtual Safety Car as well. Eventually, the Mexican driver retired his car before reappearing on the track after 6 laps to serve a time penalty. Ultimately, Checo parked his car in the Red Bull garage and left Suzuka with a staggering 177-point deficit to Verstappen. Certainly, a disappointing result for the 33-year-old.

Despite Red Bull’s apparent faith in Sergio Perez, the 33-year-old will need to buckle up and improve as soon as possible. The Austrian team has already made it clear that Perez will have to prove his worth if he wants to continue beyond 2024. As such, with drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda eye-ing the second Red Bull seat, Checo will have to perform at his finest in the coming races.

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