Sergio Perez is gearing up for what could be his concluding season with Red Bull, entering the year with a strong sense of optimism. The 2024 F1 season marks Perez’s fourth year with the team, and possibly his last, unless his contract is extended.
Since joining Red Bull in 2021, Perez has secured five victories for the team based in Milton Keynes but has generally lagged behind teammate and three-time World Champion, Max Verstappen.
Last season, Perez faced considerable criticism after a series of disappointing performances, despite a strong start where he won two of the first four races, positioning himself as a serious contender against Verstappen.
However, his season took a downturn following a crash in the early qualifying round at the Monaco Grand Prix, leading to a challenging few months.
There were numerous suggestions last year that Red Bull should consider replacing the 34-year-old, especially given the outstanding performance of their car, which Perez was not able to fully leverage.
He managed only two wins out of the team’s 21 last season and finished a significant 290 points behind Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
Despite the criticism, Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, has consistently supported Perez, affirming that the team would honor his existing contract amidst speculation about potential replacements such as reserve driver Liam Lawson or Daniel Ricciardo.
With no contract for Perez beyond 2024, he is under pressure to demonstrate his value to Red Bull and secure his future with the team. His strategy involves maximizing his performance at each Grand Prix and seeking continuous improvement throughout the season.
Perez said to the media; “I feel fully fresh,
“And obviously, with the learning of last year, it’s very important that we will learn what went wrong and learn from our mistakes. I think we understood a lot of things.
“And I think it’s my fourth year with Red Bull and I do expect to be at my best for this year.
He went on to talk about his 2024 target: “To maximize every single opportunity to get a really strong base early on, and just be able to carry that through the whole season and be able to develop through the season.”
To maximize his readiness for the 2024 season, Perez has dedicated the winter break to reflecting on previous challenges, aiming to prevent the same issues from recurring.
“Understanding the difficult races, why they were so difficult,” Perez shared. “The directions we were taking with the car, how we were overcompensating things and not necessarily making the car better. I think all of that we managed to learn a lot.”
