The two Red Bull drivers spoke to the press ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Formula 1 arrives in Brazil for the third consecutive race in three weeks. In the previous two Grands Prix in Austin and Mexico, Ferrari achieved two victories, closing in on McLaren and overtaking Red Bull in the constructors’ championship standings.
A second half of the season to forget—almost—for the Austrian team, which has gone winless for ten races and is now out of the fight with McLaren and Ferrari. The Mexican Grand Prix ended with a sixth place for Max Verstappen (due to a twenty-second penalty) and an eighteenth place for Sergio Perez, who is increasingly sidelined at Red Bull. The goal is to turn the page quickly in Brazil, and the two drivers presented the Interlagos event.
Verstappen: “We Need to Forget the Mexico Race”
Max Verstappen leads the championship with a 47-point advantage over Norris, but he hasn’t won in ten races, a negative record for the Dutch driver, who will also face a five-place grid penalty for a PU change. The three-time world champion wants to erase the Mexican experience; here are his words: “The race in Mexico is one to forget, but we know we can do better.
We are working hard to understand what went wrong, so we can improve our performance in the final races of the season. We need to do everything possible to be more competitive and return to the level we know we can reach.
Brazil represents the last stop in a long series of three consecutive races, and it’s another Sprint weekend, so it will be very demanding, but it gives us an important opportunity to gather points. Interlagos is a fantastic track, rich in history, and its technical layout is unique due to the elevation changes. I can’t wait to race in Brazil again, in front of such passionate fans.”
Perez: “In Brazil to Gather Lots of Points”
On the other hand, Sergio Perez’s season has been forgettable. The Mexican has been under pressure for weeks, and important decisions could be made by the team in Brazil. However, he remains focused and even optimistic: “The weekend in Mexico was the most disappointing of my season. I wanted it to be special, but the team and I couldn’t achieve what we deserved. I need more from the car to compete at the highest level, and that’s the goal for Brazil.
We sustained several damages in Mexico; I hope the guys can get the car back to its best possible shape, despite the limited time. The Sprint gives us the chance to earn extra points, and we will try. wanted to score points in Mexico too, and if we perform well, I’m sure we will leave Brazil with a nice haul.”
Photo: X Red Bull Racing