Sergio Perez Has "Lost Confidence" With His Red Bull After Difficult Australian Grand Prix

Confidence can make or break a Formula 1 driver's performance, and Red Bull F1 driver Sergio Perez experienced this first hand during the Australian Grand Prix

Confidence on the track is a huge factor in driver performance. Without it, they'll lack the trust they have in their car, which either results in slower lap times, or even worse, leaving the track altogether. This was a challenge that Red Bull F1 driver Sergio Perez faced during the Australian Grand Prix as he admits he's lost confidence in the potent RB19.

The Mexican driver struggled during the Friday and Saturday practice sessions, leaving the track multiple times. And things only got worse during the qualifying session where he beached his car on the gravel in Q1. He qualified last and had to start the race from the back of the grid. However, Perez refused to give in to his lack of confidence and secured a remarkable P5 finish as well as the fastest lap of the race. 

Reflecting on his performance, Perez spoke candidly about the challenges he faced with his car. 

“Generally, it was a good result today. Yesterday, I obviously lost a bit of confidence with the car, but we made a lot of changes overnight so that helped heading into the race."

He continued, adding that DRS trains and low tyre temperatures made his race even more difficult.

"I had a really good restart the first time, I jumped 3 or 4 places but then it was a bit of a mess with the DRS train. I was frustrated later in the race because I couldn’t advance any further, but it was so difficult to get through the field with tyre deg low and everyone going on to the hard tyres quickly. 

"Maybe if I’d been a bit more aggressive earlier on, I could’ve finished higher, but I’m happy we finished P5 and even managed to secure the fastest lap. Overall, this race gives us confidence heading to Baku in a few weeks and we look forward to the challenge that it brings.”

The F1 world has a short break before the teams head to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Perez has a race win here in 2021, so will likely be heading into the race with optimism.