Runner-up to Max Verstappen in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Dutch racing driver Sebastiaan Bleekemolen says Sergio Perez “cannot do it better” given his team-mate’s form.
It bodes well with the Mexican driver who has “one mission” and that is P2 in the championship to secure his future with Red Bull.
Sergio Perez has ‘only one mission’ for this season, P2 in the standings
While Verstappen has picked up where he left off last season with back-to-back wins, both achieved from pole position, for Perez it’s been a better start than how he ended 2023.
Although he wrapped up second place in the Drivers’ standings last season, he by no means covered himself in glory as his qualifying troubles hurt him in the Grands Prix.
This season he’s been fifth and third on the grid, but in Bahrain and again in Saudi Arabia, he managed to work his way up to second to clinch the 1-2 for Red Bull.
It’s the best start, says Bleekemolen, he could ask for.
“If you ignore Max, he has won. You cannot do it better. Fighting Max will remain difficult for him,” the Dutch driver told Motorsport.com.
“And if you look at where he comes from… the end of last year was of course completely dramatic.
“I actually expected him to be P2 here [Saudi Arabia] in qualifying, but hey, in the end, he came second and he had a good weekend. I can’t say anything else.”
He added: “He has only one mission, that is P2 in the championship this year.”
Consistency is key to Sergio Perez re-signing with Red Bull
Bleekemolen reckons the only thing standing between Perez and a new Red Bull contract is consistency. If he can consistently finish behind his team-mate, he’ll be in a shoo-in ahead of the RB team-mates.
“He is not always consistent and I can’t quite put my finger on what that is with him now. Because if you look at the past, he has always been more consistent,” he said.
“He now has to slowly find that again in himself. I think he actually has to work on himself the most to get that consistency back, just like the confidence in the car and the team.
“Eventually, small updates will be made and perhaps the car will move further away from him. That may have already started last year.
“With Max it just gets better and better. Maybe they are also building too much around Max. It’s hard to say.”
Earlier this month Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was quizzed on what Perez needed to do to secure a 2025 race seat.
“There’s no set criteria,” he replied. “He’s got to do enough to earn that seat and, days like today, he’s done exactly what he’s got to deliver.”
