Red Bull F1 News: Christian Horner Praises Sergio Perez For Bold Moves In Japanese GP

Saajan Jogia | Apr 9, 2024

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, speaks at the Red Bull Fan Zone, a / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has expressed his full support for Sergio Perez, praising the Mexican driver's popularity within the team and his stellar performance at Suzuka, particularly highlighting his bold run toward 130R.

Key Takeaways:

• Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praises Sergio Perez's performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, highlighting his popularity within the team and his impressive run toward 130R.
• Perez's resurgence marks a stark contrast to his potential departure from Red Bull last year. During the Japanese Grand Prix, he closely trailed his teammate Max Verstappen, contributing significantly to the team's success with three 1-2 finishes out of four Grands Prix.
• Despite expectations of a growing gap between Perez and Verstappen at Suzuka, Perez narrowly missed securing pole position on Saturday and ultimately drove unchallenged to secure second place during the Grand Prix. Horner is impressed with Perez's excellent start to the 2024 season.

Perez has shown a remarkable resurgence in form this season, dispelling rumors from last year that speculated about his potential departure from Red Bul. In the recent Japanese Grand Prix, Perez closely trailed his teammate Max Verstappen, contributing significantly to their team's success with three 1-2 finishes out of the four Grands Prix held so far.

Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez Mendoza of Mexico waves to the crowd during the drivers parade / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

Despite the anticipation of a growing gap between Perez and Verstappen at Suzuka, the 34-year-old narrowly missed securing pole position on Saturday, ultimately driving unchallenged to secure second place during the Grand Prix. Speaking to the media, Horner said:

“I thought Checo [Perez] in particular has had a strong weekend to qualify within a tenth [of a second] of his team-mate here.

“Race pace was strong obviously. The disadvantage of having to come back through the traffic, there was a couple of moments where I must admit, I had my eyes shut as he went into 130R."

The team principal was surprised by his move and pace, as he jokingly stated:

“’Do you need to do there, can’t you wait to the straight?’ He didn’t look like he had three kids when he made that move.”

Horner affirmed when asked if he had witnessed a change in Perez lately, stating that he had started the season in the best possible way. He added:

“I think his confidence is high.

“He's very focused on the job in hand, and he's comfortable in the team.

“He knows he's out of contract for next year, it's his seat to lose. He's very popular in the team and he’s started the season in the best possible way.”