At the end of pre-season Formula 1 testing, Sergio Perez suggested he required five races in 2021 to fully acclimatise to driving for Red Bull.
While it was a throwaway comment – and he did say it was difficult to put a number on it – now he has had five events for Red Bull under his belt, it is a logical time to evaluate his performance level.
That Red Bull currently sits atop the constructors’ championship, with Max Verstappen leading the drivers’ standings, is an indirect endorsement of Perez’s contribution. He has consistently offered points, albeit not as heavily as would be hoped given he has been restricted to two fourth places and a pair of fifths – with his 11th at Imola after spinning while running fourth the sole blank.
That gives him a tally of 44 points, which is actually four points fewer than Alex Albon managed in his first five Red Bull outings in 2019. But it is a better return than the 21 Pierre Gasly managed at the start of that season for two sixth places, an eighth and a fastest lap.
Imola aside, Perez’s race drives have been of a decent standard, but qualifying is the clear weakness. Monaco exemplified that, with Perez executing his race well to finish fourth but with that result badly compromised by qualifying only ninth. As he said himself after the race, “it shows the pace is there on Sunday, I just have to sort out my Saturday”.
That makes qualifying the key area of focus, which was entirely to be expected given the difficult Verstappen’s recent team-mates have had living with him and Perez’s own solid but unspectacular F1 qualifying record.
Asked by The Race if he is behind the level he anticipated being at after five races, Perez replied: “To be honest, yes.
“At Imola I managed to put it on the front row in my second race. I was not expecting that already in such a difficult track.
“But the preparation has not come on Saturdays. It’s just the variables. Whenever there is a little variable, I’m not fully at home with the car yet, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Aside from that front row at Imola, where Perez was frustrated to miss out on pole position by just half-a-tenth after being too conservative through the final corner, he has had a difficult time on Saturdays. He was fourth on the grid in Portugal, but managed only eighth in Spain, ninth in Monaco and 11th after a Q2 elimination in Bahrain.
Perez’s average deficit to Verstappen in qualifying so far this season has been 0.473s. However, that figure is distorted by what happened in Monaco where Perez’s struggles in Q3 exaggerated the gap to one second.
Perez looked set to be perhaps four-tenths off Verstappen with a normal run through Q3, so if he’s credited with that notional time that makes his average 0.354s. That’s around a tenth-and-a-half closer than Albon was last year.
Red Bull is not expecting Perez to match Verstappen in qualifying, at least not consistently. But it does need him to be quick enough to ensure he is a factor at the front in every race.
The recent Spanish Grand Prix showcased that problem as he was not in Lewis Hamilton’s pitstop window. Had he been there, it might have prevented Mercedes taking the extra pitstop that set up Hamilton’s victory given that would have meant ceding a place to Perez. While the Mercedes would likely have passed Perez, Hamilton could have lost significant time and tyre performance doing so that might have made his pursuit of Verstappen impossible.
But in a season where many of the drivers who have moved teams have struggled to deliver consistently, it’s perfectly excusable for Perez to be taking a little time. His point about adapting to the conditions is particularly pertinent given many of this year’s qualifying sessions have taken place in either windy conditions or with variable track temperatures. His Saturday in Spain was also further compromised by a shoulder problem.
“Tyre compounds changing, wings changing, weather,” said Perez when asked if these were the variables he was struggling with. “The kind of things that when you know a car like the back of your hand, it’s very easy to adapt to.
“I am not the only one that is struggling with the new cars. I haven’t forgotten how to do the job, but unfortunately it’s taking me longer than I would like.”
The Red Bull can be a difficult car to drive, with a heavily-loaded and pointy front end and Verstappen is hugely accomplished at getting the most from the car even when on the edge. This is something Verstappen’s team-mates have struggled to deal with in recent years, but Perez can at least take encouragement from the fact that his pace at Imola and Portimao was relatively good on Saturday. Perez’s confidence is growing, but it’s still not maximised.
If he can ensure he’s up there at the start of the race, it will transform his role for the team. So far, of the de facto number two drivers at Mercedes and Red Bull, Valtteri Bottas has been the more effective – less so because he has three more points but more because he has been a factor more often in races. For example, had Bottas not been leading in Portugal and Verstappen pushing hard to stay within DRS range of him, would the Red Bull driver have made the small error that allowed Hamilton to close up and overtake?
While points are important, the impact that Perez has on the title fight is going to be hugely significant this season. Red Bull needs Perez in play in every race, and he knows it.
A big positive for Perez is his attitude and approach, perhaps a consequence of having a decade of racing in F1 compared to the relative inexperience of his two predecessors at Red Bull, Gasly and Albon.
Perez is secure in what he can achieve and staying focused on achieving it. Earlier this season, he set out his stall not to deviate too far from Verstappen’s set-ups and approach, which is a wise move that reflects the fact he needs to adapt to the car. In Monaco last weekend, he reiterated this.
“These days, track time is very limited,” said Perez. “When you go into practice, you have to be really on it and you don’t have a lot of time to do even a set-up change or a set-up compromise. We go pretty blindly into the race on Sunday.
“It makes it harder for drivers that have changed teams. For me, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to be chasing other directions. Max has proved his direction works well and I certainly see good potential if I can get there.”
Although Perez’s progress hasn’t been smooth through the first five races, particularly with difficult Spain and Monaco weekends interrupting the very positive progress through Imola and Portugal, there are positive signs there. And history shows he is a formidable driver who can do exactly the job Red Bull requires once on top of the car.
Next, he heads to Baku – a circuit where he has enjoyed success in the past. The signs are quietly promising, but in the coming races he will need to take the next step and ensure he’s regularly in the fight at the front having done this ground work.
If he does that, it will be good news for Verstappen, Red Bull and Perez’s future with the team.
