Sergio Perez promises ‘World Champion’ performance after disastrous outing at Suzuka

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez says he wants to put in a ‘World Champion’ quality performance on this weekend in Qatar.

Red Bull heads to Qatar as new world champions after retaining the constructors’ crown in Japan.

But despite this successful season  for the team, Perez  found life more difficult, contributing 223 points to the team’s total of 623.

Sergio Perez seeks to correct Suzuka’s mistakes

Ahead of  the second race in Qatar, Perez said he wanted to put in a ‘World Champion’ class performance.

“Qatar is my chance to get back in the race with two chances to win throughout the weekend,” Perez said after a bad weekend at Suzuka. “The Sprint format always presents challenges when preparing the car, so we will work hard together to ensure we are ready to qualify on Friday night.

“The track there can be difficult, as we learned in 2021, grip is affected by the sand on the surface, so you have to be careful. But the night racing is always fun  and can be the most exciting event of the entire season. So it will take a lot of management over the three days to get the most out of the car.

“We go into this race as world champions and for me personally I want to show that  on the track.

On the other side of the Red Bull garage, it could be another celebratory weekend as Max Verstappen is on course to win his third Drivers’ title.

The Dutch rider said he hopes it will be an unforgettable weekend  as he has the chance to become the first rider to win a world championship in a Sprint race.

“I feel very happy to go to Qatar with a guaranteed constructor’s title,” said Verstappen.

“The track there is really fun to ride, although it’s going to be a tough weekend for all of us because it’s so hot up there. The heat will definitely make it interesting.

“This weekend is also a sprint so we need to make sure we learn as much as we can in Friday practice. The drivers’ championship can also be won in the Sprint race on Saturday, so that’s our main target. I hope it will be an unforgettable weekend!”