Sergio Perez makes notable Max Verstappen admission over RB20 troubles

Sergio Perez alongside Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez admitted Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen is able to “get around” the car’s current issues better than him, “with his talent” behind the wheel.

The Mexican driver acknowledged after the Italian Grand Prix that, while he was much closer to Verstappen on the track, he had hoped the gap was bigger again if it meant the three-time World Champion was still winning races for Red Bull.

Sergio Perez: ‘Max can get around the problems better than I can’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

Perez finished eighth at Monza while Verstappen took sixth place on track – the Dutchman’s joint-lowest finish of the season along with Monaco – with Verstappen admitting after the race that both World Championships for Red Bull will be challenging to win at this stage.

Describing the issues facing the RB20, Perez said the car is proving tough to handle – though he admitted his team-mate is able to “get around” what is underneath him.

“We don’t have constant understeer or oversteer, but both together in a corner. Understeer up to the apex and oversteer on the exit. If you fix one end, the problem at the other end gets worse,” Perez explained, as quoted by German publication Auto Motor und Sport.

“With his talent, Max can get around the problems better than I can.”

How Sergio Perez stacks up to Max Verstappen so far this season

F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying records between team-mates

F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Talking after the last race, Perez admitted the team had not expected the RB20 to be in the shape it was in Italy, despite Monza’s unique traits as a circuit.

In terms of how to fix it, however, he knows that the back end of the car is proving to be an issue as they struggle to get on terms with their front-running rivals as it stands.

“We were not expecting it to be that bad,” Perez told media including PlanetF1.com at Monza.

“Already on laps to grid, I could find that I just couldn’t stop the car the way I wanted; I couldn’t play with it.

“I think it’s mainly balance. We need to be able to stop the car and be able to carry the speed.

“The problem is that we are not able to throw the car in because the rear is nowhere, so it’s something we have to work on.”

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