Sergio Perez makes ‘terrible season’ admission as ‘massive change’ sought

Sergio Perez believes the Mexico City Grand Prix result could make a “massive” change to his F1 2024 season, which he deemed “terrible”.

Perez started the F1 2024 season brightly with 85 points from the first five Grand Prix weekends but has only scored a further 65 in the 14 rounds since.

Sergio Perez: F1 2024 has been really difficult

With Perez scoring consistent podiums in the first quarter of the season, the Mexican driver’s championship collapsed after China – points have become irregular, let alone podiums, and he has slipped to eighth overall in the tables as teammate Max Verstappen leads the way.

Perez’s poor performance has resulted in the team dropping behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, and he admitted that it’s been a bad season in terms of his own performance.

“Yeah, definitely, I know I’ve had a terrible season, a very difficult one,” he told media, including PlanetF1.com, in the press conference ahead of his home race at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

“It started really well, but, yeah, it’s been really, really difficult.”

But Perez, who is facing massive scrutiny as his Red Bull seat is by no means secure for F1 2025 despite his contract extension earlier this year, said he feels a big result this weekend could transform his season.

“For me, you know, if I get a strong result, it can definitely change my season massively, in terms of personal feeling. So I’m really up for it,” he said, saying he hopes to be able to replicate his podium finish of 2021 by bringing his young son up with him.

“I think that moment will stay with me forever, having my son up there with me on the podium watching me,” he said.

“It’s something that I hope he remembers forever, if not I have the picture, at least, to show him when he’s old, you know?

“Those moments, I think it’s the ones that really matter to me, and I hope I can repeat that one this weekend.”

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Sergio Perez: It’s all about your last race in F1

Perez looked like he was going to break his duck by returning to the podium in Azerbaijan last month, before a late-race collision between himself and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz ended the attempt.

Slumping back into the upper midfield since, Perez said he believes momentum is very much not on his side – and it’s very difficult to get it back once it’s ebbed away.

“I think momentum in Formula 1 is very important,” he said, “when you just put the car on track, and you know that everything is working, and you are so further ahead of the people that put the car on track and have a lot of problems.

“I think it’s the same for everyone, but I also know how these sports work and it’s all about your last race.

“So, if I get a good one here – I got a good one in Baku, but it didn’t work out – if I get a good one here, then my season can definitely take a U-turn.

“The most important is that we are able to feel comfortable with the car, which, at the moment, we are just not able to unlock the full potential of the car.

“We come to the weekends, trying a lot of things, different things, every weekend, and it makes just the whole Grand Prix a lot more difficult.”

Despite his travails, Perez says he remains confident of turning things around before it’s too late. With Red Bull’s RB20 falling off the boil through the middle portion of the season as the development path of the car made it uncomfortable for both Perez and Verstappen to drive, recent races have suggested the team has steadied the ship in terms of the car’s performance.

“I feel that I’m in the same boat as a team, we’re working towards solving it. We found a big issue in Monza,” he said.

“So, after Monza, we thought we were finding direction. So we’re heading in the right direction.

“This is Formula 1. Sometimes the results are not coming, and you just have to make sure you keep your head down.

“You focus on the stuff that you can control, and the rest is something that you cannot get bothered with.”

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