P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen is adamant that Red Bull’s “main concern” as it strives to protect its advantage in both Formula 1 championships is greater than Sergio Perez’s plight. Perez’s ongoing wretched run continued at Belgium in the last race prior to the summer break as he converted a front row start into an eighth-place result on […]
In the last race before the summer break at Belgium, Perez’s struggles continued as he finished in eighth place despite starting on the front row. His lackluster performance in the past eight races has allowed McLaren to narrow the gap in the Constructors’ Championship to just 42 points. Despite discussions within Red Bull about his position, Perez will remain alongside Verstappen on the team after the break. Verstappen’s recent lack of wins, compounded by Perez’s challenges, has revealed Mercedes and McLaren as strong competitors. Verstappen doesn’t solely blame Perez for their struggles, acknowledging the team’s ongoing car issues and the need to focus on performance. While Perez showed promise with a third-place start at Spa-Francorchamps, his race performance suffered, highlighting Red Bull’s main concern with the car’s pace and tire management. Although Verstappen and Perez discuss car balance and improvement, they prioritize their influence on making the car faster over individual situations.
