F1 News: Helmut Marko Reveals Sergio Perez Red Bull RB20 Change For 2024 Season
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Sergio Perez has decided to adopt "more or less" the same setup as his teammate Max Verstappen this season. The Austrian has stressed that the current car's speed stems from its lack of "good-nature", moving away from what the Mexican driver is usually more comfortable with.
Key Takeaways:
- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed that Sergio Perez has adopted the same setup as Max Verstappen's car for the 2024 season, attributing the current car's speed to its lack of 'good-naturedness'.
- With Perez's contract expiring at the end of the 2024 season, there are high expectations for him to secure a contract extension, especially after a challenging 2023 season.
- Despite Perez's recent contributions to Red Bull's success, Marko emphasizes that Max Verstappen's ability to handle a nervous rear end gives him a significant advantage over Perez.
As Sergio Perez heads into another season with the Red Bull team, with his contract set to expire at the end of 2024, there are high expectations for him to deliver strong performances to secure a contract extension. This is particularly crucial considering his challenging 2023 season that raised questions originally.
Fortunately, his contribution to the Milton Keynes team, securing a 1-2 finish in both races so far this season has been beneficial for him with the driver sitting safely second in the drivers' standings. Marko has now highlighted a key difference from last year, admitting that Perez is taking a different angle when it comes to his race setup. Speaking on the changes Perez has made this season, the Red Bull advisor wrote in his Speedweek column:
“This year he is no longer experimenting, but is starting with more or less the same basic set-up as Max.
“There are just more nuances in which they set up differently.”
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Delving further into what sets the two drivers apart in their setups, Marko stated that Perez prefers a "good-natured" car, which is why the RB18, Red Bull's 2022 challenger, suited him more. However, despite this, the RB18 wasn't as fast as the later two models, albeit easier to drive. Verstappen's exceptional ability to handle a nervous rear of the car sets him apart from other drivers, giving him a significant advantage. Marko added:
“Checo used to be fast with cars that were good-natured.
“But good-natured cars are rarely fast.
“In 2022, it worked in his favour that our car was overweight. As a result, it had a more good-natured tendency with more understeer and a stable rear end. But it wasn’t fast – Ferrari was actually faster in the first half of the season. It was only strategy and [Charles] Leclerc’s driving mistakes that tipped the balance in our favour.
“Now our car is very fast, and the fact that Max copes better with a nervous rear end than anyone else is down to his extraordinary talent and makes all the difference.”