Sergio Perez is hoping for a change of fortune as he heads into this weekend’s race at Istanbul Park.
The Red Bull driver has taken just 16 points from the last six races and has fallen two places in the drivers’ championship to fifth during that time. At the last race in Sochi he was on course to finish on the podium until a late rain shower hit and he waited too long to change to intermediate tyres, falling to ninth at the flag. He admitted the disappointing result had been “difficult” to take.“We felt like we delivered a fantastic race,” said Perez. “We executed a really good strategy. We were well onto the podium. But things changed really quickly, we ended up taking the wrong decisions and it was very costly in terms of points.”
He is eager to bounce back in the remaining races, as Red Bull bid to overhaul a 33-point deficit to Mercedes in the constructors’ title fight over the final rounds.
“I was back in the factory, we did a lot of work together with the engineers and I think we are as well prepared as we could possibly be for the next seven races in the championship,” he said. “So we move on.
“It’s still a long way to go and I’m sure we will at some point turn it around because we have been really a bit too unlucky in the last couple of races.”
However Perez said he isn’t simply waiting for his luck to change. “Obviously it is mainly [due] to the luck and we’re working flat out, we’re doing everything we possibly can.
“I’m working as hard as ever out of the car, on the car. And I have not a single doubt that we will turn things around and we will manage to finish our season on a high.”
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SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
7th October 2021, 14:40
I think Perez his luck has ran out to be honest. His win last year with RP was extremely lucky. Each and every podium he ever got he was extremely lucky as well. I never understood how people didn’t see the amount of luck he had all the time when rating his ability. Everyone seemed to follow the hype that was created by the media, I believe due to financial influence of Carlos Slim.
He now has the best car on the grid and is lacking massively compared to Verstappen. No one expected him to match Max, but he is way, way off. His poor results are not down to bad luck. When you cannot qualify in 4th, or even 5th or 6th in that Red Bull when Max got pole, your performance is off. You need a lot less luck when you start from P4 than when you start from the back.
With all the fortune he had in qualifying last week (Max not participating, Lewis spinning, Bottas messing up) he should have gotten pole. Yet, he started in P9. Hoe much luck does a man need?
Sush Meerkat
7th October 2021, 17:00
His luck had to run out sometime
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:19
Absolutely agree, not with the luck he had in the past cause I don’t remember everything, but I agree his bad results are not down to luck and that he’s been terrible, he’s had like 2 good races in a year!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:19
Having so few good races in a year is vettel-like the last ferrari years, or raikkonen-like always in his last ferrari years.
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
7th October 2021, 14:47
There was nothing unlucky about being caught and overtaken by Alonso in his inferior car. Nothing unlucky about crashing going into pitlane if the same Alonso just few seconds ahead drives into his pitbox intact. Nothing unlucky about Alonso lapping 4 seconds faster during the first full lap on intermediate tyres. It’s simply called being less talented, which made the difference between still finishing 6th and lowly 9th.
Unlucky crashing out on the lap to the grid at Spa. Unlucky lapping 0.5s slower than team mate during quali at Zandvoort and not making Q2. Unlucky cutting chicane at Monza and losing 3rd place. So much bad luck, isn’t it?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:21
What’s weird is he’s not performing at red bull, he was doing just fine in the midfield. This can’t all be due to the team mate change, he definitely lost relative performance when the car got better.
Balue (@balue)
7th October 2021, 15:12
He seems too tense and takes it too careful, working his way into things. Maybe because his ego makes him too scared to do something silly. The Imola incident didn’t help at all. Of course by the time he’s warmed up, it’s the end of the race and too late.
He should throw caution to the wind and take more risks from the off, already in free practice IMO. But difficult to change his whole approach now I guess.
rodewulf (@rodewulf)
7th October 2021, 18:09
@balue
Pretty much that’s it. Perez doesn’t seem to know when and how hard to push (unlike a few of the finest drivers on the current grid who grasp it very well), what often results on him being too shy specially during quali and playing some conservative game for the race but then it comes to a point during the heat of the battle that he simply gets too hasty, sometimes when he was doing quite good actually, hence his glaring mistakes. Many times it feels like he’s overdoing really, whenever he doesn’t lack it. So it has been a very unbalanced performance overall in this Red Bull.
Balue (@balue)
7th October 2021, 18:47
@rodewulf And those battling mistakes again from too big ego. He just can’t take being passed and will go too far defending. But usually he’s not in front anyway, he’s coming from behind which he’s used to now, except when he gets to the sharp end and then things gets hot under the helmet.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
7th October 2021, 15:41
That win in Baku seems like a lifetime ago.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:23
Remember it was gonna be a 2nd place all going regularly, and I’d say he also did well in france, after that nothing.
Alberto
7th October 2021, 15:48
Same car had 7 wins and 11 podiums. Ok if he was unlcuky half the races of the season thats still 7-8 potential podiums not 2 and certainly not 5th in the drivers championship. I am not saying it is enitrely his fault, but this isn’t enough to bring the manufacturers championship home. Hope he scores consistent top 5s until the end of the season.
jff
7th October 2021, 15:53
As critical as I’ve been of him this season, I do owe him some kudos for the way he tailed Hamilton until the latter’s pitstop.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:28
You’re being too nice to perez, hamilton was terrible before pit stop, even verstappen had caught up.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
7th October 2021, 16:02
I like Perez but he’s not been an enormous upgrade on Gasly/Albon to be honest. He’s usually too far back to influence strategy, has made some ridiculously costly mistakes all by himself and fades in the race. He’s been useful occasionally in the wingman role but so far only once has actually won when Verstappen’s faltered and never once looked able to equal him, let alone beat him. Being blunt, rather than raising his stock he’s lowered his own while elevating Gasly & Albon’s significantly.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:33
Yes, so disappointed but indeed, very slight upgrade, expected so much more.
John H (@john-h)
7th October 2021, 17:34
They need to get Gasly back asap, especially with the new regs.
Balue (@balue)
7th October 2021, 18:49
@john-h Agree, and probably Red Bull too, but seems their new policy is not brashness with drivers, but being more supportive. Ironic that this is the time they maybe need to make hard changes.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th October 2021, 20:30
Absolutely.
t3x
7th October 2021, 21:48
You make your own luck.
t3x
7th October 2021, 21:50
Redbull need a top tear driver in that car, Perez has shown he is a second class driver this season. They need an Alonso !!
ppzzus (@ppzzus)
8th October 2021, 0:13
It is amazing how short f1’s memory is. Of course he’s underperformed this season. He was absolutely steamrolling the midfield last season.
Balue (@balue)
8th October 2021, 8:01
@ppzzus I thought so too, but now realize it was just perception. In reality it was the same with underperforming in qualifying, then doing his tyre saving trick and getting his rightful position when warmed up at the end of races.