Sergio Perez Faces Tough Battle as Red Bull Trails Behind Ferrari in Monaco GP
In a candid assessment of Red Bull Racing's performance during the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix practice sessions, Sergio Perez openly admitted that catching Ferrari seems like a distant dream. The Mexican driver and his team struggled throughout the practice, unable to find the comfort or speed that the unique Monte Carlo circuit demands.
Heading into the race weekend, Perez had anticipated that the unusual characteristics of the Monaco track could potentially make Red Bull more vulnerable, especially to rivals like Ferrari and McLaren. Indeed, Perez's predictions materialized as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set an impressive pace in FP2, leaving a two-tenth gap between him and the rest of the field.
Red Bull's Unexpected Struggles
Surprisingly, Red Bull was not the closest contender to Ferrari. Both Red Bull cars found themselves outside the top 10 in FP1, with Max Verstappen more than five-tenths down in the second session. Perez himself ended FP2 in eighth place, trailing his teammate by three-tenths, and voiced concerns over his RB20's ride.
Perez noted, “It’s going to be tough. Our limitations are really hard to get away from at the moment, especially with the car’s ride.” The team is experimenting with different setups for their cars, but the underlying issues persist. “We have to see what we can come up with tonight,” Perez added.
The Mexican driver agreed with Verstappen’s outlook, admitting that matching Ferrari’s lap times appears unrealistic unless significant improvements are made. According to Perez, Ferrari’s ability to consistently deliver fast laps without struggling with tires gives them a crucial advantage in Monaco. “Whenever they need the lap, they just seem to put it together easily and quickly,” he observed.
Looking for Quick Solutions
Perez admitted that there's no single issue to fix to boost their performance. “It’s not just one area; we have several items we need to improve on,” he explained. The Red Bull team is pinning their hopes on making overnight adjustments that can bring them closer to the leading pack. “Hopefully, it can put us back in the fight. Right now, it’s looking tough,” Perez concluded.
The candid admission from Perez paints a clear picture: Red Bull is in a race against time and engineering challenges to close the gap with Ferrari. As the Grand Prix weekend continues, all eyes will be on whether Red Bull can find the magic tweak that propels them back into the competitive fray.