Sergio Perez had a weekend to forget at the streets of Monte Carlo, with a crash during qualifying setting the stage for a troubled Monaco Grand Prix. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, described the incident as “unreasonable” but not “irresponsible.” Despite Perez’s struggles on Sunday, Marko believes that the race outcome ultimately did not matter.
Perez’s woes began in qualifying when he lost control of his RB19 at Sainte Devote, resulting in a crash just eight minutes into Q1. This unfortunate incident relegated him to the 20th position on the grid, in stark contrast to his teammate Max Verstappen’s pole position.
Unfortunately for Perez, Sunday’s race did not provide any respite. He collided with both Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen, necessitating a front wing change after multiple encounters with the barriers. The Mexican driver was lapped twice by race winner Verstappen, finishing a disappointing 16th place, well outside the points.
Addressing Perez’s incident-filled race, Marko expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “It didn’t matter then. Everything went wrong there.” He referred to Perez’s qualifying crash as “unreasonable” but not “irresponsible.” Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Marko expressed his hope that the mistakes made in Monaco would serve as a lesson for the rest of the season. While acknowledging Perez’s speed when driving unhindered, he lamented that the crash during qualifying had ruined the entire weekend for the driver.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner concurred that it simply wasn’t Perez’s weekend. “It was just a weekend where nothing worked for him at all,” Horner admitted. He expressed his belief that the sooner Perez can put Monaco behind him and focus on the upcoming race in Barcelona, the better.
Following Sunday’s race, Perez finds himself trailing his teammate Verstappen by 39 points in the Drivers’ Championship, with Verstappen having secured his fourth victory of the season in Monaco.
Reflecting on his performance, Perez admitted, “That’s the first big mistake I made in the World Championship.” He offered an apology to the team and expressed his eagerness to move forward, looking ahead to the next race and a chance to start afresh.
In contrast to Perez’s struggles, Marko praised Verstappen’s exceptional weekend in Monaco. The reigning World Champion secured pole position by a margin of 0.084 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso and went on to claim a dominant victory with a 28-second lead.
Marko lauded Verstappen’s performance, stating, “It started with an unbelievable qualifying lap and continued.” He highlighted Verstappen’s ability to control the situation in various conditions, including dry, semi-dry, and extremely wet conditions. Marko commended the communication between the technicians and Verstappen, emphasizing their excellent collaboration during the race.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, Red Bull Racing will aim to address Perez’s challenges and maximize their overall performance, while Verstappen looks to maintain his momentum and extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
