Sergio Perez has hit back at criticism of his time at Red Bull’s Formula 1 team, insisting that the pressure is so high that “there’s a reason lots of drivers haven’t survived”.
Red Bull has encountered trouble adopting the right partner for Max Verstappen ever since Daniel Ricciardo opted to depart the Austrian outfit at the conclusion of 2018.
Pierre Gasly was handed a promotion that proved too premature and he swapped places 12 races into his stint with Alex Albon, who had impressed in his debut season.
But while he retained his place for 2020, Albon struggled with the unstable RB16 and Perez became the first driver since 2007 to be drafted from outside Red Bull’s ranks.
Although Perez has been unable to match Verstappen, the Mexican has entered his fourth term as a Red Bull driver and has been praised for his resilience in the position.
Perez believes his extended time with the reigning champions should be commended due to the heightened expectations associated with a driver representing Red Bull.
“There’s always pressure in Formula 1, you have to remember that we are at the pinnacle of the sport,” Perez explained on the Beyond The Grid podcast.
“So there’s always pressure, you always have to deliver at all conditions, at all races, that’s normal. But at Red Bull, it certainly has changed a bit.
“I mean, there’s a reason why lots of drivers haven’t survived, because the amount of pressure, the amount of focus on yourself, they don’t measure the same, all the teams – I feel like how they measure at Red Bull is different to any anyone else.”
Perez endured a tough campaign last term as a dramatic mid-season plight witnessed him struggle to land podiums as Verstappen set a record for consecutive victories.
The inevitable social media pile-on that ensued saw speculation surface that Perez could be dropped, with rumours over his future having carried into the latest season.
However, Perez, who is now in his 14th campaign in F1, asserts that his wealth of experience means he has learnt to ignore “noise” on the outside and fixate on his driving.
“I think I’m privileged, because I’m a bit older and I grew up without social media. It can be really toxic, so I’m not a big fan of that, so I always try to stay away from it,” he added.
“Making sure that I’m able to come here, do my job, give my everything, prepare as best as I can, and that’s all I can do.
“I can try 1000 times, but at the end of the day, the most important is [work] with your team, try to deliver and the outside noise will always be there, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But it’s important to make sure that you are able to shut it down.”
With his contract expiring at the end of 2024, Perez has begun the season on a strong note with consecutive second-place finishes behind his dominant team-mate.
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