Sergio Perez Faces Growing Challenges with Red Bull After Q1 Crash in Hungary

With speculation about Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull intensifying, the Mexican driver urgently needed a strong performance at the Hungaroring to quell the mounting criticism. However, his hopes were dashed during the opening segment of qualifying.

Perez’s bid for redemption was abruptly halted when he lost control of his Red Bull RB20 on a damp track. Heading into Turn 8, the car slid off and crashed into the barriers, inflicting substantial damage and ending his qualifying session prematurely. Thankfully, Perez emerged unscathed, but his Red Bull was left heavily damaged.

As the session progressed, all eyes were on the timing screens to see if Perez could avoid a fourth Q1 exit in his last six races. Unfortunately, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen secured P15, pushing Perez into the bottom five and sealing his fate.

In a media briefing at the Hungaroring, Perez expressed his frustration but remained hopeful. “It hurts to face this setback, especially given the current situation,” he said. “I think I clipped the curb at a point when the rain was heavier in Turn 8. It caused the car to lose control and crash into the wall.”

Despite the disappointment, Perez is determined to bounce back. “Yesterday, we had a promising day with good data for the long run. I’m confident we can find strong pace tomorrow and work our way up to score some points.”

The pressure on Perez has been mounting, especially from within Red Bull. Team principal Christian Horner revealed that he had a candid conversation with Perez in his kitchen, trying to understand the root of his struggles. “We have a really open relationship,” Horner said. “I asked him directly, and he admitted he might be overthinking things.”

Horner believes that by focusing solely on his own performance and not comparing himself to his teammate, Perez might improve.