Red Bull’s Pierre Wache shares alarming concerns about Sergio Perez’s qualifying performance

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache calls out Sergio Perez for poor qualifying performances

Red Bull’s Pierre Wache shares alarming concerns about Sergio Perez’s qualifying performance

Pierre Wache and Sergio Perez (Credits: Motorsports.com)

World champion Max Verstappen has dominated the 2023 Formula One race by race. The same, however, cannot be said about his teammate Sergio Perez. The many mistakes made by the Mexicans have put Verstappen on top of the drivers’ standings. Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has raised concerns over Perez about his poor run of form.

Wache stated that every weekend they were faced with the challenge of balancing driver control and the overall performance of the car. He mentioned that they had many sessions with difficult conditions, making it even tougher for the driver. After his two victories in Baku and Jeddah, Sergio Perez has been unable to use his RB19 to its potential.

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Wache observed that Perez displayed promising performances during the race. However, he struggled to find a comfortable car setup which made qualifying more difficult for the Mexican. Pierre Wache also claimed that the team acknowledged the need to improve the driver’s comfort during FP3.

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“Every weekend, you’re chasing between driver control and overall performance of the car. With the number of sessions we had with difficult conditions. It was difficult for him,” said Wache. “I think during the race, he showed that he was able to achieve something interesting. But, when you are not comfortable with [the] car, for Qualifying [it] was more difficult. [He] didn’t find [a set-up he was] comfortable with during FP3. It’s something we have to work on with him,” he concluded.

Also read: Sergio Perez refutes Christian Horner’s claims, believes he is still under same pressure despite diminished title hopes

Can Sergio Perez bounce back and potentially challenge Max Verstappen for the title?

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Red Bull driver Sergio Perez

After beating his teammate Max Verstappen on pure pace at Baku, Sergio Perez was riding the high. Many expected the Mexican to fight for the 2023 world drivers’ title. His win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix added to his chances to rival his teammate for this season.

However, things have not worked out for Perez since the Miami GP. He could not maintain the lead after getting his Red Bull to pole position in Florida. Verstappen, however, emerged victorious after qualifying way down in P9. In Monaco, the 33-year-old did not even make it into the points after an incident in qualifying. His teammate yet again won the Monaco GP.

The same result was seen at Barcelona, where Perez’s qualifying struggles allowed Max to win seamlessly. Due to this form slump, Sergio Perez has created a 53-point gap between Verstappen, who is currently leading. With rain being forecasted at this Canadian Grand Prix, can Perez overcome his Saturday woes?

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