As Helmut Marko warns Mexican driver to “get a grip”, Christian Horner is assured that Sergio Perez will flip issues round in Hungary.
Failing to make it to Q3 for the fifth successive race weekend, 2022 Silverstone winner, Sergio Perez did not make issues simple for himself a 12 months later.
Although he was in a position to flip issues round, bringing his Purple Bull residence in sixth, forward of Fernando Alonso and the Ferraris, the query, as ever, is what may need been had he began on the entrance.
On Saturday, Marko despatched out a transparent warning.
“Perez must get a grip on his {qualifications},” the Austrian instructed Sky Sports activities. “Often, he drives good races, and he is now fortunate once more as you may simply catch up right here.
“It has all the time been a weak spot of his,” he added. “It occurs too typically and he has to work on that. We’re additionally going to work on it, as a result of if one driver is in entrance and the opposite sixteenth, one thing is not proper.”
Talking after Sunday’s race, Christian Horner admitted that the Mexican has to interrupt the run of unhealthy Saturday that started in Monaco.
“He simply wants to interrupt it now,” stated the Briton. “He’ll do it in Budapest, I am assured.
“The way in which he races, a few of his strikes, the one on Carlos Sainz specifically was fairly beautiful into Stowe,” he continued. “When you take a look at his tempo within the final stint, he was proper there.
“It is irritating for him that he has to struggle again on a regular basis however he is simply obtained to kind his qualifying out on Saturday and as a staff we are going to do our greatest to help him on that.
“It is simply a kind of issues,” he added. “As in all sport, 90% of it’s within the head and I believe he simply wants a superb run and he’ll discover his momentum once more.”
Within the wake of Marko’s warning, and the truth that the likes of Ricciardo and Doohan are ready within the wings, Perez was requested if he fears for his future at Purple Bull.
“I could not care much less if I am sincere about that,” he replied. “In F1 in 13 years I’ve seen all of it. I am not frightened about any of that, I am primarily targeted about getting my season again on monitor and ensuring I hold having fun with this.”
Referring to the race, he stated: “Nothing labored right this moment, I had an incredible launch however then I obtained hit by Ocon on Lap 1 and I misplaced place as a substitute of gaining, so it made it tougher the restoration.
“I used an excessive amount of my tyres in that first stint,” he continued, “we boxed, I believe three laps earlier than the Security Automobile so it wasn’t meant to be, however I the tip we gave all of it and did what we presumably may.
“It was actually laborious to make progress, particularly on the finish the place everyone seems to be on the identical tyre age and there’s no tyre delta, it was very troublesome to make any progress, as a result of following by means of excessive pace is kind of tough. It simply makes it tougher, if you need to observe you simply lose the downforce so it makes it tougher. I believe with just a little extra luck we may end larger.”
Requested about his qualifying dilemma, he stated: “I believe it is simply quantity of element. I’ve turn out to be just a little bit extra delicate to the automotive in the previous couple of races, particularly on a Saturday, on low gasoline, one thing that I will be engaged on from tomorrow within the simulator with the staff.
“We’ve got some concepts, however we function in such a small window of element that… I imply, , simply that we’d like a robust Saturday and the constructive factor is the tempo is there on Sundays the place the factors are given however now we have to kind out and have a clear weekend as a result of the tempo is there.”
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