So far this season, Sergio Perez has been underdelivering for Red Bull. He was unable to keep up with Max Verstappen’s pace in the RB20. However, ever since the weekend at Azerbaijan began, he started recording competitive lap times. During the qualifying session, Perez was finally able to outqualify his teammate and put himself in contention for a potential race win.
Perez’s pace throughout the weekend has been strong. During FP1, he recorded the 3rd fastest lap time, and in FP2, he went 2nd fastest. So going to the qualifying session, the question was – Is Red Bull back to being on top?
Sergio Perez out-qualifies Max Verstappen at Azerbaijan
During the final qualifying session, Perez was able to go 4th fastest, putting him in the second row alongside Carlos Sainz. His teammate, Max Verstappen on the other hand only managed to qualify 6th, behind George Russell in the Mercedes.
The Mexican driver has always been quick around the streets of Baku. He is the only driver to win here twice. His race wins here helped him gain the nickname “King of the Streets”. But now the main question is whether he will be able to keep up this pace during the race.
Starting on the second row for Sunday 👏 We’re heading in the right direction 💪#F1 || #AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 pic.twitter.com/AeJ8BeThNN
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 14, 2024
Naturally, all the focus is going to be on the race, as that’s where the drivers will earn their points. If you don’t perform well in the race, your qualifying results don’t matter at all.
Looking at the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull desperately needs Perez to gain some momentum. While the Austrian team was able to get a good lead during the first few races of the season, McLaren has closed that gap to just 8 points now.
But with Lando Norris starting in 17th after a disappointing performance, Red Bull has a chance to extend their lead. So heading to the race, the pressure is going to be on Pere to deliver.
Perez desperate to gain back momentum
During the summer break, Perez was on the verge of losing his seat at Red Bull. Despite signing a 2-year contract extension which will take him to the end of 2026 with the team, his performances have been quite disappointing.
After the Belgian GP, there was a meeting between top Red Bull executives to discuss whether to keep Perez on the team or replace him. While the team did choose to retain him for the remainder of the year, he will need to prove his worth in the remaining races this season.
Was close but just not enough. We’ll fight and give it our all tomorrow.
Estuvimos cerca, pero no fue suficiente. Mañana vamos a luchar y darlo todo.#SP11 pic.twitter.com/64jJAqcWGX
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) September 14, 2024
Given that Perez has a strong starting position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he will be looking to use that to get back into form. It will be interesting to see how Red Bull’s race pace compares to the McLarens and Ferraris.
Do you think Sergio Perez can deliver a strong finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
