Perez's 'Achilles Heel' Discussed By Red Bull Team Principal

Monday, 11 December 2023 at 07:00

Christian Horner revealed what the biggest resolution would be for Sergio Perez going into next season as Red Bull looks to repeat its success and win the Championship again.

While Red Bull completely dominated the 2023 season by winning 21 out of 22 races, things might change at the start of the upcoming season.

Max Verstappen recently said he expects other teams to be "quite a bit closer" in terms of pace next season, as they will have time to work on development throughout the winter break.

If that happens, Sergio Perez will need to improve on his qualifying performances. The average qualifying position for the Mexican driver in 2023 was ninth place which is nowhere near what his team would expect him with the fastest car on the grid.

Asked what New Year's resolutions would be for his drivers, Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports Perez needs to "sort his qualifying out" :

"His biggest resolution would be to sort his qualifying out. That's been his Achilles' heel at certain points this year and, if he can do that, then his race pace is always strong, he races very well."

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If the rival teams closed the gap to Red Bull and Perez did not improve his qualifying performances, he would have a very hard time getting to the front of the field during the race, which might complicate the Championship fight for his team. Horner said:

"We need him qualifying nearer the front, nearer to Max, and putting more pressure on. We can't afford for him to go missing at certain points of the championship and [not] have that consistency."

Recent rumors suggested Daniel Ricciardo might have a clause in his contract that would allow him to take the seat in Red Bull if Checo's performance does not improve at the beginning of the next season.

Do you think Sergio Perez can make the step forward and even challenge his teammate? Or do you believe we might possibly see Ricciardo replacing the Mexican driver in Red Bull after the first few races?