Red Bull is striving to enhance their Formula 1 car so Sergio Perez can perform better. Let’s dive into what they’ve been doing to support him.
- After months of speculation, Red Bull confirmed Sergio Perez will stay with the team despite his struggles.
- Perez has faced difficulties with the RB20 car since May, causing the team to lose valuable points.
- Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, revealed plans to upgrade the car in ways that benefit Perez and Verstappen.
- Simulations have been challenging, but Red Bull is focused on improving the car’s balance and handling.
Red Bull has put an end to weeks of speculation by confirming that Sergio Perez will remain with the team after the summer break. Amidst struggles since May, with only 28 points collected since the Imola race, Perez’s continued presence is crucial as the team faces pressure from rivals such as McLaren.
Max Verstappen has managed to mitigate the impact of the rival teams’ advancements, but Perez’s performance has cost Red Bull significant points in the title fight. In response, Red Bull has decided to back him instead of replacing him. The world champion team knows that they need Perez to improve to maintain their competitive edge.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, suggested that future upgrades to the 2024 car will aim to enhance performance in ways that both drivers can utilize. This approach was also part of the Hungary update package. Wache acknowledged that Perez struggles more than Verstappen when the car becomes harder to handle. “What we want is the quickest car, but in a way that can be used by the drivers,” he explained. Both drivers’ needs and preferences are considered similar enough to benefit equally from these upgrades.
Wache pointed out that Red Bull has identified certain tendencies that explain why Perez has more difficulty handling the car than Verstappen. However, replicating these traits in the simulator has proven to be challenging with the current generation of ground-effect cars. “We try to see some tendencies, but it is very difficult to highlight them because last year he was struggling as well sometimes,” Wache said. “The interaction with the tires is very difficult to reproduce, even if we try our best. Improving these areas is an important part of our process.”
The low-slung design of the current cars makes the solution more complex than just adding downforce. Balancing the car between high and low-speed corners is tricky, increasing the risk that performance upgrades might make the car harder to drive. This has affected Perez’s confidence significantly more than Verstappen’s. “The balance with these cars is quite tricky to achieve,” Wache added, noting that creating downforce in specific areas can make the car difficult to rebalance mechanically. This issue has been observed across other teams as well, such as Mercedes and McLaren.
Red Bull is committed to enhancing their car to improve Sergio Perez’s performance, ensuring both drivers can maximize their potential.
