Red Bull driver Sergio Perez might wish the Spanish Grand Prix was this weekend so that he can try and move on from the last few races as quickly as possible.
Sergio Perez was rewarded with a new contract by Red Bull before the Canadian Grand Prix, although there are question marks over whether he’s deserving of a new deal due to his recent form.
Damon Hill was talking about the Mexican driver’s Canadian Grand Prix on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
Both Saturday and Sunday were disastrous for Perez as he failed to get out of Q1 and then made no progress in the race before crashing out.
He’s slipped to 5 in the Constructors’ Championship and it’s difficult to see him overtaking the likes of Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris or Charles Leclerc to match finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen like he did last year.
Hill has now shared how it could still get worse for Perez if he doesn’t step up his performance soon.
He may have put pen to paper on a new contract but that doesn’t necessarily provide him with too much security.
His new deal can run until 2026, but he will almost certainly need to hit certain targets to trigger an extension.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
Damon Hill shares his concerns about Red Bull star Sergio Perez
The F1 grid is closer than it ever has been and although Max Verstappen still looks like the heavy favourite to win a fourth straight championship, three other teams believe they can snatch victories away from Red Bull.
Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes may have all been secretly delighted that Red Bull had offered Perez a new deal.
The 34-year-old has failed to outqualify any of their drivers in the past three races and only scored four points since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
He appears to be low on confidence and team principal Christian Horner, who would have played a huge role in the decision to extend Perez’s contract, couldn’t defend his performance in Canada.
After the race, Horner said live on Sky Sports F1: “It was a horrible weekend for Checo and obviously, we picked up some damage. He’ll need to come back strong in Barcelona.”
Hill has shared his thoughts on his tough time in the last few races and what he needs to improve to make things right.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Sergio Perez needs a strong Spanish Grand Prix
Talking about Perez’s disastrous weekend, Hill said: “He [Sergio Perez] could have avoided a safety car by parking it somewhere but it’s very difficult to get rid of your car in Canada, there’s not many places you can hide it.
“He has had a mare, he’s had an absolute nightmare! From going from looking like he was three-tenths off Max [Verstappen] and being comfortably up there and there to support him, to now the last few races have just been absolute catastrophes for poor old Checo.
“Slightly self-inflicted I feel in Monaco but he didn’t qualify well! His last two qualifyings have been awful.
“Can it get any worse? Yes, it can. That’s the only thing that you can say about it, just when you think it can’t get any worse it does, but let’s hope it doesn’t let’s hope he gets it on the front row.”
The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix should theoretically be a race that suits Perez much better.
The curb riding issues Red Bull have faced in the past few races won’t be as much of a factor and Perez recorded the fastest lap at the Circuit de Catalunya last year on the way to a one-two finish for the team.
However, he’s already on the back foot after picking up a three-place grid penalty for driving back to the pits with substantial damage following his crash in Canada.
If he can’t improve on his qualifying performances then that would mean starting on the back row of the grid, which would be a disaster for his hopes of proving his growing number of doubters wrong.
The post ‘Had a mare’: Damon Hill explains how it can get worse for Sergio Perez after ‘nightmare’ race in Canada appeared first on F1 Oversteer.