How vulnerable is Red Bull? "Knowing this is not our best circuit"

25 May 2023 at 15:38

Last update 25 May 2023 at 16:49

Editor

Red Bull Racing had very little opposition on Sundays in the first five Grands Prix of the year, but that could be very different this weekend. The RB19 is especially fast in the fast corners, but Monaco only has slow, tight corners. Sergio Perez addresses how vulnerable his team feels in the press conference.

"We certainly know that it's not our strongest circuit," said Max Verstappen's teammate. The free practice sessions will be very important for Red Bull to maximise everything. "We will struggle a bit to show our strengths, but it's still Monaco. I think come Saturday, you really need a good warm-up on your tyre. That definitely is the key around here."

No room for error

Last year, Perez crossed the line first in Monaco. So the veteran driver knows what it's like to win, but matching that performance is extremely difficult. He explains why: "Wherever you are in the circuit, if you make a mistake, you will end up in the wall. There is no margin for errors. Sunday can be quite boring for the fans, but not for the driver itself because at any point, you can make a mistake and finish your race. I think here, we all enjoy too much Saturday when we go to qualify, and we know that it's everything that counts."

For Formula 1 drivers, qualifying, in particular, will be incredibly important. You have to time your qualifying lap well, get lucky with the traffic, get your tyres up to temperature and be lucky that crashes by others don't spoil your lap. In short: it will be spectacle on Saturday. Probably more spectacle than on Sunday.