Sergio Perez’s ‘psychological’ response revealed as Max Verstappen issues set in

Sergio Perez’s confidence has been boosted by vindication that the Red Bull balance issues weren’t isolated to his car, according to Christian Horner.

Perez has struggled for form for most of this season, stemming back to his first low-key weekend at the Miami Grand Prix. But, as balance issues have also started to affect Max Verstappen’s results, Perez has had a boost of confidence which has him “walking taller”.

Christian Horner: Sergio Perez thinking ‘It’s not just me’

While Perez’s results took a dip at the start of the second quarter of the season, with his last podium coming at the Chinese Grand Prix, it took a little longer for the Red Bull RB20’s balance issues to have a tangible effect on Verstappen’s results.

Perez has been open about how the Dutch driver has been able to drive around the handling problems better than he can, but even Verstappen has been powerless to haul Red Bull to the top of the podium in recent races.

Verstappen’s last race win came in June’s Spanish Grand Prix, with just two podium finishes in the six races since, as the RB20 has struggled for competitiveness against ever-improving rivals like McLaren.

But there has been a hidden positive to Red Bull’s recent struggles, Christian Horner has revealed, with Perez’s confidence being bolstered by the fact there now appears to be an explanation for his struggles earlier in the season – these struggles being vindicated by the fact Verstappen has now joined him with similar complaints about the car.

“He’s been walking a half inch taller after that,” Horner told Sky F1 on Saturday in Baku,

“I think there was a sort of [thinking] ‘It’s not just me’, and I think that, psychologically for him, it has really lifted him.

“There are a couple of tracks we always knew that, theoretically, this track and Singapore should be two of his better circuits. So, hopefully, he can have a strong weekend.”

Perez has had a comparable weekend to Verstappen so far this weekend, with the Mexican driver finishing as the quicker of the two at the end of second practice on Friday.

Asked what it is about the Baku City Circuit Perez enjoys so much, having won the race in 2021 and ’23, Horner laughed.

“I have no idea!” he said.

“It makes no logical sense in that it’s high-speed straights with Armco barriers and 90-degree corners, but he’s always been magic around here.

“I think if we had a 24-race championship in Azerbaijan, he’d be pretty tough to beat, but it’s good to see him finding his confidence – in every session he’s been on it, and it’s so important to carry that momentum into quali and the race.”

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Christian Horner confirms Monza characteristics ‘aren’t there’

With Red Bull enduring a nightmare weekend at Monza last time out, with the RB20 proving the slowest of the top four teams around the Italian venue, Horner said there has been a step forward in the feel of the car this weekend – Red Bull showed up with a new floor body geometry in an attempt to address its recent balance issues.

“It’s still very, very tight, but I think we’ve got a better balance in the car,” Horner explained.

“Sergio is definitely more in the comfort zone as well. So it’s going to be about getting that lap perfectly correct.

“I think what we’ve been playing with is whether we want the downforce to protect the degradation, or do we take the downforce off for the straight-line speed, which could increase the deg? So it’s that fine line.

“We’ve been running a little heavier on downforce. It was interesting as it looked like Lando [Norris] had come towards us on downforce in [third practice], more focused on the race with degradation obviously being a crucial element.

“But it’s that trade. The good thing is that both drivers are reporting some of the nasty characteristics that they had in Monza aren’t there.

“So that’s encouraging, and it’s going to be about getting the perfect lap. Maybe you get lucky with a tow, but it looks very, very close.”

With the tow effect being quite large down the long start/finish straight in Baku, might Perez be expected to provide a tow to Verstappen in a bid to help the Dutch driver secure pole position?

“You want to be in that magic window,” Horner said.

“I mean, you could totally sacrifice one driver, but then they’re out of position. We want to have both drivers up there. And, obviously, as qualifying thins out, the ability to pick up a tow as you get towards Q3 just gets harder and harder.

“You can overtake quite easily here, it’s such a long straight with a big tow effect. So it’s finding that balance that you want to be quick enough over a single lap, but not compromise too much your race pace as a result. That’s the debate that, no doubt, the drivers and engineers will be having right now.”

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