Red Bull senior adviser Helmut Marko disclosed that Sergio Perez now begins with the identical setup as Max Verstappen rather than
“experimenting” following a successful start to the F1 2024 campaign.
With the goal of securing a new contract with Red Bull, which has begun splendidly, Perez has a lot of pressure on his shoulders going
into the next campaign.
Verstappen has started the season strong with back-to-back wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but Perez has fulfilled his promise to
make sure that Red Bull finished first in both races, as their RB20 sets the early pace for Formula One in 2024.
After a stellar start to the previous season, Perez dramatically lost his way. However, Marko noted that this time around, Perez is not
“experimenting” with his set-ups; instead, he is following Verstappen’s lead, as the three-time World Champion has established
himself as the dominant force in Formula One with Red Bull machinery.
In his Speedweek column, Marko said of Perez, “This year he is no longer experimenting, but is starting with more or less the same
basic set-up as Max.” “They just set up differently in more subtle ways.”
Then, in an attempt to get the most out of it, Marko would go further into Perez’s preferences for an F1 car, which does not work in his
favor at Red Bull.
Marko claimed that because Perez is a driver who like a “good-natured” car, Red Bull’s 2022 rival, the RB18, was a suitable fit for him.
But in contrast to Red Bull’s later innovations, this vehicle “wasn’t fast.”
And to that extent, Marko thinks the primary factor working in Verstappen’s favor is his capacity to “cope better with a nervous rear
end than anyone else.”
“Checo used to drive a fast car with a friendly attitude,” asserted Marko. However, courteous cars are rarely quick.
It was to his advantage in 2022 that our car was overweight. Its tendency toward understeer and stable rear end resulted in a more
pleasant driving experience. However, Ferrari was really faster in the first part of the season, so it wasn’t very fast. Only planning and
some really poor driving from [Charles] Leclerc turned the tide in our favour.
“Now that our car is moving very quickly, Max’s exceptional talent makes all the difference because he handles a nervous rear end
better than anyone else.”
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