Max Verstappen explains key differences with Perez in Baku – Max Verstappen has revealed the key factor that separated him from Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. According to Verstappen, the set-up of his car was the key factor that affected his performance over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Perez suggested that Verstappen’s struggles were a reminder that the Red Bull car operates within a narrow performance window and that small changes can have a big impact.
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Further, Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner has expressed his frustration following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Sergio Perez’s race ended in disappointment. Despite showing great potential, Perez finished outside the top five for the eleventh race in a row.
The Mexican’s weekend went from bad to worse after a high speed crash left his car badly damaged and Horner disappointed at the missed opportunity.
Perez’s missed opportunity for victory
Sergio Perez was a strong contender for a top finish and Christian Horner believes the Mexican had the pace to win the race. However, his hopes were dashed after a collision with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Perez was already locked in a close battle with Logan Sargeant for the title of the driver who caused the most damage to their car during the season, with both drivers racking up around €5 million in repair costs.
After the Baku crash, Perez looked set to regain the lead in that unfortunate contest.
The incident occurred on the straight after the second corner when Perez, who was racing closely with Sainz, hit the wall at high speed. The impact severely damaged the Red Bull car, leaving Perez without points and Red Bull with a substantial repair bill. Horner, speaking after the race, suggested that Sainz may have been responsible for the crash.
“When I look at the replays, it looks to me as if Carlos Sainz veered to the left on the track,” said Horner, indicating that he felt the Ferrari driver had contributed to the incident.
Horner was particularly frustrated by the aftermath of the accident. “It caused a lot of damage and a very big accident. It also cost us points. Those points are crucial for Checo [Perez] and for the Constructors’ Championship. It’s very disappointing.”
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Major impact on constructors’ championship
The crash had immediate and serious consequences for Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren, a close rival, managed to overtake Red Bull in the standings, moving twenty points ahead. Meanwhile, Ferrari are also closing the gap, intensifying the battle at the top.
This shift in the standings adds to Red Bull’s frustration, as they not only missed out on valuable points, but also had to deal with the costly damage inflicted on Perez’s car.
Adding to Red Bull’s troubles, Perez’s position in the Drivers’ Championship also suffered. He lost a place to Mercedes driver George Russell, dropping to eighth in the standings. The crash, which ended Perez’s race prematurely, has also put a financial strain on Red Bull. The team has suffered a number of setbacks with car damage this season, including not being able to use a new wing at Monza due to budget constraints. The damage from Baku will put further pressure on Red Bull’s ability to introduce the performance upgrades that will be crucial to maintaining competitiveness in the second half of the season.
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Red Bull’s financial worries growing
Aside from the racing disappointment, the financial implications of Perez’s crash are significant for Red Bull. The team has already suffered a number of costly incidents this season, and the damage in Baku only adds to the pressure on their budget. Horner has previously alluded to the challenges of managing repair costs under the sport’s budget cap, and this latest blow will make it even harder for Red Bull to introduce new upgrades as the season progresses.
Red Bull’s position in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships is now under increasing threat, with McLaren pulling ahead and Ferrari gaining ground. Financial constraints only add to the complexity, as the team must balance performance improvements with the need to repair costly damage.
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Verstappen struggling to match Perez’s pace
Interestingly, until the crash, Sergio Perez had been in better form than his teammate Max Verstappen, a rare occurrence in recent years. Verstappen, who usually dominates for Red Bull, struggled to match Perez’s pace throughout the weekend in Baku. Horner admitted that the team would have to analyse the differences in their respective set-ups to understand why Perez outperformed Verstappen.
“We need to see exactly what the set-up differences were,” said Horner, suggesting that a difference in their car configurations could have contributed to the contrasting performances. Perez made a strong start to the race and showed that he had the potential to win had it not been for unfortunate circumstances.
“Checo could have won this race,” explained Horner.
“He had a bit of bad luck with Alexander Albon; he lost a lot of time behind him. Then Lando Norris also held him up, otherwise he would have undercut Oscar Piastri. That didn’t happen and unfortunately Sainz pushed him into the wall.”
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Perez outqualifies Verstappen in Baku
For the first time in the 2023 Formula One season, Sergio Perez managed to outqualify Max Verstappen in Baku. The Mexican showed off his skills on one of his favourite circuits, the Baku City Circuit, which is known for its unique characteristics as an atypical street circuit. Perez has proved to be something of a specialist at the venue, being the only multiple race winner there, a testament to his ability on these tricky roads.
However, Perez’s promising weekend was cut short during the race when he collided with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, bringing his chances of a podium finish to an abrupt end. The crash proved costly for both Red Bull and Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, with Red Bull falling 20 points behind their rivals.
Despite the disappointment, Perez’s strong pace on the streets of Baku demonstrated his growing confidence in the Red Bull car and his love of this particular circuit.
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Set-up struggles lead to Verstappen’s downfall
While Perez appeared to be on form throughout the weekend, Verstappen had a more difficult time. The Dutchman revealed that his set-up adjustments after the third free practice session ultimately caused problems with the handling of his car. Verstappen highlighted the problems that arose, particularly with the rear of his RB20, which bounced significantly during the race.
“We made that decision together on our side of the garage,” Verstappen told reporters.
“You win together and you lose together as a team. We thought the direction we took with the set-up would improve things, but it didn’t work out. I paid the price for that.”
Verstappen went on to explain that while the team had tried to fine-tune the car for better performance, particularly with the introduction of a new floor, the changes made before the race ended up making things worse, not better. The Dutchman stressed the importance of learning from the experience, especially with the Singapore Grand Prix, another street circuit, on the horizon.
“We need to understand what went wrong here and make sure we optimise our set-up for Singapore. I don’t think it’s the best circuit for us, but we’ll see – maybe we’ll be surprised.”
Red Bull’s narrow performance window
Sergio Perez echoed Verstappen’s thoughts on the car’s set-up, but added a critical perspective on the Red Bull RB20’s sensitivity. According to Perez, Verstappen’s struggles in Baku highlight just how small the car’s performance window is, meaning that even the slightest deviation from the set-up can have a drastic effect on the outcome of the weekend.
“The pace I’ve had this weekend is encouraging, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Perez.
“Max’s problems show that the car is very sensitive – if you’re just a little bit out of the right window with the set-up, it affects the whole weekend. It shows that the car is still too sensitive and we need to address that. We’ve made some good progress, but we need two more steps like this to really be where we want to be.”
Perez’s comments underline the challenges facing Red Bull despite their dominant position in the Constructors’ Championship. The car’s narrow operating window means that even small changes in set-up can result in significant losses in performance, making the task of optimising the car for different circuits all the more crucial.
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Looking ahead: Hopes for Austin
With both drivers agreeing that the team still has work to do, Red Bull are now pinning their hopes on the upcoming races to regain ground in the championship. The American Grand Prix in Austin will be particularly important, with whispers within the team suggesting that a new upgrade package is in the works. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, has already hinted at the importance of these updates, which could give the team the competitive edge they need to maintain their momentum.
Both Verstappen and Perez will be eager to see how the car responds at the Circuit of the Americas, a venue that presents a different challenge to Baku or Singapore. For Perez, Austin is another opportunity to build on his strong performances on the street circuits, while Verstappen will be looking to bounce back and reassert his dominance within the team.
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Just when Sergio Perez thought it was safe to go out in the F1 paddock in Baku, a last lap battle with Charles Leclerc saw the Mexican driver lose out to his team mate once again. Checo was on for a podium finish when he bailed out of a late overtake move on Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari driver looked doomed having reported his rear tyres were finished two laps earlier, yet somehow Perez decided he couldn’t complete the overtake backing out and taking the inside line. Carlos Sainz seeing an opportunity went around the outside and was ahead as the pair dulled out of turn two in Baku.
Replays suggests Perez was unlucky as Sainz thinking he had more room than he did, began to move towards the centre of the track. He hooked Sergio’s right front with his rear left and the pair were in the…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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