Perez insists Red Bull have ‘plenty of work to do’ despite P2 finish in Bahrain

Sergio Perez believes that there is room for improvement for Red Bull following the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, despite the team securing a one-two result.

Perez started the race from P5 on the grid, having made an error during the Q3 phase of Friday’s qualifying, but embarked on a strong recovery drive on Saturday night. This saw him work his way up to P2, while team mate Max Verstappen took an assured victory up ahead.

READ MORE: Verstappen storms to victory in action-packed season-opening Bahrain GP

The result marks Perez’s best since the 2023 Italian Grand Prix last September and he was satisfied with the outcome, though admitted that there were some areas in which he faced issues during the Bahrain event, something he hopes the team can address prior to the next race on the calendar in Saudi Arabia.

“I’m pretty pleased, pretty happy,” said Perez. “I think it’s been a great result for the team and [I’m] very satisfied with that. There’s plenty of work that we’ve got to do to improve, and hopefully we are able to chip away for Jeddah.

“I’m aware that there were some things that were not totally perfect from our side. I was struggling quite a bit with the balance, with the downshifts and the engine braking. I think there is some tidy-up to do before Jeddah, so I think it’s great [that] we have a full race distance to analyse.”

READ MORE: ‘It couldn’t have been better’ – Verstappen hails ‘unbelievable’ start to title defence with statement win

Given the progress he displayed throughout the Bahrain weekend, Perez was quizzed on whether he feels he has continued to build a closer connection to the RB20 during these early stages of the 2024 season.

The 34-year-old suggested that his focus is instead on the team maintaining their momentum, particularly as the car develops throughout the campaign.

“I think, so far, it’s just important, the car is going to be evolving and changing,” Perez commented. “I think it’s just important to keep it up, keep the momentum going, and make sure that we are able to keep that momentum with us.”

FACTS AND STATS: Red Bull tie Williams’ win tally in first-ever retirement-free season opener

Perez and the rest of the field will not have long to wait before returning to action, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place in less than one week’s time.