Zak Brown voices concern over Pérez’s form and criticizes Red Bull’s aggressive racing style.
The psychological warfare continues unabated between Red Bull and McLaren F1!
Christian Horner remarked earlier this weekend at Silverstone that Red Bull “desperately needs” Sergio Pérez to be “competitive.” The pressure is mounting on Checo…
The qualifying rounds did nothing to alleviate Checo’s situation – he spun out into the gravel during Q1. Naturally, this elicited a reaction from Christian Horner, who noted that Red Bull could not afford such mistakes from their driver.
Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, also weighed in on this internal matter at Milton Keynes. Speaking before the qualifications, the American was forthright, suggesting that, were he in Christian Horner’s position, he might consider replacing Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull seat more swiftly.
Clearly, Zak Brown’s comments are not without motive and contribute to the destabilisation efforts launched by Woking against their arch-rivals…
“I would be, and I’m sure they are (at Red Bull), very concerned and worried because of the lack of performance,” stated Zak Brown regarding Sergio Pérez.
“But as I am fond of Sergio, I would prefer not to make further comments on this matter.”
Given Sergio Pérez’s recent underperformance, the gap remains stable or is narrowing between McLaren F1 and Red Bull in the constructors’ standings (87 points today). Can McLaren F1 thus aim for the title according to Zak Brown?
The American took the opportunity to further comment on Checo’s case…
“I think it will ultimately depend on Perez… Because you have to assume that Max will finish first, second, or third in every race for the rest of the year, probably more first than third.”
“Sergio’s underperformance is what opens the window for us. I believe if we score as many points as we have in the last six races, throughout the year, we can get the job done. So, we are fully aware of that.”
“But the way Andrea (Stella, the team director) motivates the team, everything revolves around the weekend, the next session, and the next week. So, we know we can do it. But that’s not what drives us. What motivates us is trying to be better in every session, every week, and the results will naturally follow.”
Zak Brown has reiterated that McLaren F1 is ready to take the fight to Red Bull, even if it means incidents like the recent Austrian Grand Prix might occur.
“We are prepared to battle. However, we aim not to engage in overly dirty or mean tactics; that’s not how McLaren races. I believe it’s possible to compete without resorting to such methods…”
“They (Red Bull) sometimes appear to possess a mentality that drives them to win at all costs. That is not our approach to racing. But we believe it is possible to go the distance and fight in our own style.”
“You know, we simply try to do our best every weekend. I wouldn’t describe our chances of winning the constructors’ championship as very strong, but I think there is clearly an opportunity if we continue to score points as we have in the last five or six races, then we could close the gap by the end of the year.”
In the drivers’ standings, Lando Norris is more than 80 points behind Max Verstappen. However, according to Zak Brown, this gap is not insurmountable.
“To win the Formula 1 World Championship, everyone must be at 100%. Lando has the benefit of a victory. Max, Lewis, and Schumacher… I think when you have won as much as they have, it gives you a lot of experience.”
“Lando is still gaining Grand Prix experience. It’s great because the only way to get there is to keep at it. And he will continue to improve as a driver.”
“He is perfectly capable of winning the world championship now, but that doesn’t mean he cannot still improve. I think Max is a better driver today than he was in his first championship year, the second year of his championship. These drivers continually refine their game.”
“But it has to be done one race at a time, as Lando is doing. And I’m not going to give Lando advice on how to drive. It was a very minor contact (at the Red Bull Ring) that could have ended with nothing more than some tire marks – and unfortunately, it cost the race. When you want to win and you’re fighting against a world champion, these things happen.”
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Zak Critiques Red Bull’s Rough Racing Tactics Zak Critiques Red Bull’s Rough Racing Tactics
