McLaren sees a glimmer of hope in Sergio Perez’s underwhelming performance, believing that they have a chance to surpass Red Bull and claim the F1 2024 Constructors’ title.
Oscar Piastri says McLaren are “confident” of beating Red Bull to the F1 2024 Constructors’ title with Sergio Perez currently struggling to support team-mate Max Verstappen.
Despite signing a new two-year contract as recently as last month, Perez has found his Red Bull seat come under growing scrutiny over recent weeks having scored just 15 points across the last six races.
Sergio Perez the key to McLaren’s F1 2024 title hopes?
According to our sources at PlanetF1.com, Perez’s updated contract with Red Bull reportedly includes a clause that grants the team the option to part ways with the Mexican driver during the summer break, but only if he falls behind Verstappen by a significant margin of 100 points.
Before the August shutdown, Perez is currently 137 points behind his team-mate as they head into the Hungarian Grand Prix, which is the second-to-last race.
McLaren is hopeful for a chance to win the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship as Perez’s lack of contribution has boosted their confidence. The team from Woking currently holds the third spot with 295 points, trailing Ferrari by seven points and Red Bull by 78 points.
F1 2024: Head-to-head battles between team-mates
F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates
F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
Piastri, who made an appearance at the press conference in Budapest on Thursday, disclosed McLaren’s optimism in surpassing both Ferrari and Red Bull by the season’s conclusion.
He thinks that Perez’s challenges could have a significant impact, as currently, only Max is consistently earning points for Red Bull.
Speaking to reporters, he expressed his confidence in the entire team, including the drivers, car, and everyone involved.
“We have developed a strong sense of confidence. Over the past six races, we have outscored every other team, and we are steadily closing the gap on our competitors.”
It is clear that the gap between us and Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship is now quite narrow, as we are steadily closing in on Red Bull.
“At present, Max is the primary scorer, but we cannot assume it will always be so. Therefore, we must continue to strive for maximum performance and aim to accumulate the highest possible points for both cars.”
However, we are absolutely certain that we are actively engaged in the battle. I believe it would be extremely negative to not have hope for our prospects later in the year.
“We are fully aware that the task ahead is far from easy, and the situation can change rapidly. However, we are currently taking the appropriate steps and making significant progress, which undoubtedly keeps us actively engaged in the battle.”
Piastri responded to Brown’s statement by suggesting that Perez’s underwhelming performances are creating an opportunity for McLaren to potentially compete for the Constructors’ title in F1 2024.
During an interview with various media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, he stated that ultimately, the outcome would rely on Perez’s performance.
Given that Max consistently performs well in every race, it is safe to assume that he will secure one of the top three positions. In fact, based on his overall performance throughout the year, it is likely that he will achieve first place more often than not.
Sergio’s underperformance is creating an opportunity for us.
“If we can maintain the same level of points gained as in the previous six races, we would be able to successfully accomplish our objectives for the remainder of the year.”
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