Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has taken note of team principal Christian Horner's "unsustainable" comment, agreeing that he is dissatisfied with his own performance and is attempting to have a comeback. Having "been in this business for a long time", Perez understands the significant impact a good weekend can have on his season and his Red Bull seat.
The Mexican driver has been facing repeated setbacks in the last few Grands Prix, the latest being the British GP, where his RB20 got beached on the gravel after losing control of it during qualifying. Eventually, he started the race in the pitlane to finish seventeenth.
The contrast in performance with teammate Max Verstappen highlights his worsening scenario even more. The championship leader has won 7 out of 12 Grands Prix thus far, while Perez has endured two DNFs, including an average seventh and eighth-place finish in the last few races.
Despite securing a contract extension with Red Bull for the next two seasons, Perez's future with Red Bull depends on his performance in Hungary and Belgium. Addressing the slump in his form, Horner admitted after the British GP that it was "unsustainable" for Perez not to finish races within points.
As Formula 1 looks to the Hungarian GP this weekend, Perez was asked about his team boss's statement and how he would deal with the pressure of the drop in performance. He told Formula 1:
“I think it’s obvious.
“I’m the first one that is not satisfied with the past races, with the past results, and I’m the one that wants to get back to our top form – that’s the main objective for us this weekend.”
Acknowledging that a long season lay ahead, Perez understands the importance of a good weekend and how that could turn the tables for him. He added:
“Yeah, I think the team is fully focused, with the preparation I have with my engineers, with everyone back in the factory.
“We are all fully focused on the track and, at the end of the day, we know that this is a long season, there is a lot of races ahead. Things can change very quickly, so I’m fully focused.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time, so I know that if I have a good weekend in the coming races, my season can look very different. So, yeah, head down and focused on things I can change, and the rest is out of my hands.”
