Red Bull conquered an impressive one-two finish in Japan, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez leading the pack. The team has been in excellent form this season, consistently securing pole position in every race. The Suzuka circuit witnessed once again the dominance of Red Bull, as they clinched a well-deserved victory at Honda’s home race. Perez expressed his excitement and satisfaction with the team’s impressive performance.
Perez acknowledged that it was a good weekend for the team, especially with the successful start and restart after the red flag caused by the accident of Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon. However, the Mexican driver admitted that his race pace was not strong enough to catch Verstappen. He faced some difficulties during the middle stints but managed to recover with the hard tires.
Furthermore, Perez highlighted the momentum the team has gained throughout the 2024 season. He mentioned that the Japanese weekend in 2023 was the worst for him, but this time around, he celebrated and emphasized that Red Bull can shine at any circuit. After his dominant victory at the Japanese GP, Perez stated: “I think we are in a good moment, here last year was probably my worst weekend, so if we are strong in places like this, I believe we can be strong anywhere.”
Sergio Perez has been performing exceptionally well in the qualifying sessions of the 2024 season. This led to a funny bet between him and the team boss, Christian Horner, regarding the qualifying results. The bet revolved around Perez securing a starting position on the front row, with Horner betting against it. However, Perez proved him wrong by qualifying in P2 and winning the bet. Horner joked expressing his disappointment at losing money, but Perez saw it as a way to keep him motivated. This bet showed the strong bond and friendship between the driver and the team boss.
With the highly capable challenger RB20, it is expected that Red Bull will continue with their exceptional performance throughout the 2024 season. Perez’s impressive performances may even lead to a contract extension for the 34-year-old driver. As the team prepares for the upcoming sprint weekend in China, the future looks promising for Red Bull and their base in Milton Keynes.