Sergio Perez endured an utterly miserable afternoon in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday. He was at the centre of a huge upset as he failed to make it out of Q1.
It was a fresh dose of qualifying woe for the Mexican, who suffered a Q2 exit at the last race in Imola. He was able to recover to eighth on that occasion but his prospects of points appear slim from 18th given the nature of the Monaco circuit.
Perez needed to respond after his poorest weekend of the season so far, but Saturday’s events will only increase the pressure on his shoulders. He is, of course, driving for his future at the team ahead of the expiry of his contract.
The 34-year-old got off to a strong start in 2024, finishing runner-up behind Max Verstappen in three of the first four races. But his recent drop-off will spark fears that history is repeating itself.
Perez flew out of the blocks in 2023, winning two of the first four Grands Prix before his season unravelled. He would score just six podiums in the last 18 events as Verstappen embarked on a historic run of dominance.
Qualifying was also a particular area of weakness for the former McLaren driver last year. He failed to reach Q3 nine times over the course of the campaign.
Christian Horner insists Sergio Perez doesn’t put Red Bull at a disadvantage
Speaking to outlets including Planet F1 ahead of the race, Lando Norris suggested that McLaren and Ferrari had an advantage over the rest of the field. He feels they’re the only teams who have ‘two cars up there in every single session’.
Their rivals don’t share this ‘strength’, with one of their drivers typically delivering a ‘mega’ lap while their teammate struggles. This could be read as a subtle dig at Perez given his deficit to Verstappen.
Ahead of qualifying in Monaco, Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham put those comments to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. He pointed out that Perez sits a respectable third in the championship as he leapt to his defence.
“Look, Checo in the first six or so races, he’s been right there,” he said. “We’ve had one-two finishes, one-three finishes, he’s third in the world championship. I would disagree with that.”
Red Bull arrived in Monte Carlo 56 points clear of Ferrari in the standings. Now that the Scuderia have made gains, that margin could be quickly whittled down if Perez doesn’t raise his game.
James Vowles reacts to Red Bull struggles at Monaco Grand Prix
In Perez’s defence, Red Bull have been battling with car issues throughout the weekend. Both drivers reported aggressive bouncing during Friday’s practice sessions.
Even Williams team principal James Vowles was struck by the severity of the issue in Perez’s onboard footage. He says teams have to find a compromise in terms of ride height on perhaps the bumpiest track of the season.
Verstappen saw his joint-record streak of pole positions come to an end and will be bitterly disappointed with sixth place. But his damage limitation was still far more effective than that of Perez.
One racing drive told ‘Checo’ this week that the disparity between the two is ‘too ridiculous for words’. Even one of the shortest circuits of the year, he’s fallen further away rather than closing in.
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