Silverstone: A Fresh Start for Perez?

Sergio Perez aims for a turnaround at Silverstone, hinting at a recovery in form after recent setbacks.

Sergio Perez approaches a new Grand Prix with Red Bull following a rather mediocre result in Austria.

Defeated by a Haas F1, the Mexican has been accumulating criticism, and his bosses, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, have urged him to quickly raise his level of play.

However, before the start of testing at Silverstone, Perez offers a justification.

“It was a fairly difficult weekend overall, especially the race, with the damage we sustained from the first lap, really. Essentially, we were out of the race with that. There was nothing possible with such small margins between the cars. The damage was just a bit too severe, and we were falling back in the hierarchy.”

“It’s already forgotten, my performance in the race was explained as such. On paper, the fast corners of Silverstone should suit the RB20. This weekend should be very strong for us.”

“We look forward to this kind of high-speed track, and Silverstone always represents a huge challenge, you know, with the wind. It can be particularly tricky. So yes, everything is going to be very tight again, as has already been the case these last weekends on different circuits. I expect nothing different. But the car should be more comfortable here, and so should I.”

This week, the facilities of Red Bull Powertrains were presented to the media. For Red Bull’s engine department for 2026, it’s a big challenge. What is his impression of the program so far? Does he see a competitive engine by 2026, even against manufacturers with decades of experience?

“Well, it’s very impressive to see how well, in terms of timing, they’ve managed to set everything up to get going with these engine regulations. And when you’re there on the ground and you take the tour, it’s quite impressive to see how many people we currently have on site. And how far they’ve already come with the engine, in terms of performance. So, I think in terms of timing, I think everything is going very well.”

“Now, as for competitiveness… No driver or even engine maker has any idea what everyone’s competitiveness will be like in 2026. But I must say they’ve done a great job so far.”