Red Bull’s technical director reveals reasons for Perez’s struggles

Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache insists that Sergio Perez does not like the “car response” which has hindered his performance in recent months.

Having started the year with a string of podium finishes, Perez endured a sudden loss in form with his issues dating back to the first European round in Imola.

While his team-mate Max Verstappen holds a comfortable lead of over seventy points ahead of the McLaren of Lando Norris, Perez sits down in seventh in the drivers’ standings after 13 of 24 scheduled races this season, 141 points behind the Dutchman.

Asked about the reasons of Perez’s struggles, Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache insisted: “If I knew, I would fix it. But it’s difficult to say. I think it’s partly us, for sure. And it’s what we have to try to help him to extract the potential of the car.

“I have some feedback from him. We have some feedback. We try to help him. And, you know, the point is not only reflecting to how he feels in the car.

“Sometimes he’s unlucky, you know, it’s what happened in some quali that could affect the overall result of the race. But, yeah, I think we are trying to help him to have a better result for the next races before shutdown.

Pushed on whether Perez lacks confidence , Wache added: “It’s difficult to say, I’m not a driver, but it looks like the car response is not what he likes. That is something that we have to address on our side.

Although Perez secured four podium finishes in the opening five rounds, his performances have nosedived since then, including a disastrous turn of events in qualifying with four Q1 exits at the last six Grands Prix.

Asked what has caused this change in form, Wache noted: “It’s difficult to have a right spot on it to say it’s coming from this area of the car. It’s for sure that the more you push the development of the car, the more the behaviour could start to be tricky, it’s what you see from the others.

“I have no exact point where we identify where the issue is for him compared to Max. But it’s clearly that the fact that the stability of the car could be improved for both drivers, I suspect, will help him.