Max Verstappen gets F1 title boost as biggest rival admits confidence struggle

28 April 2023 , 17:32

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Sergio Perez admitted his confidence took a blow after his car's braking problems in Melbourne (Image: Getty Images)

Sergio Perez has admitted he is down on confidence after suffering a brakes problem back in Melbourne.

The Mexican suffered in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix and was out in Q1 after problems with his brakes led to his Red Bull becoming beached in the gravel. He was still able to salvage points for the team on race day with a recovery drive to fifth place.

On Friday in Azerbaijan, Perez was able to qualify on the second row, setting the third fastest time behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and team-mate Max Verstappen. But he clearly felt he could have done more in that session, judging by his comments to the media.

The Red Bull driver has revealed he has struggled with his confidence in the RB19 that he lost with the braking issues. "I think I'm getting back my confidence," he declared after the session.

"What happened in Melbourne really knocked my confidence a bit if I am honest, especially with the long break we had after and then you go straight into qualifying here, pretty much. And it's all about braking here and having that confidence under braking but I think I'm getting there."

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The unforgiving Baku street demands a lot of the drivers and offers reward for high risks. Perez has a strong track record on street circuits and is a past winner in Azerbaijan, making it an ideal venue for him to get back to his old self.

Max Verstappen has an early lead in his F1 title defence bid (Getty Images)

He will need to do so quickly if he is serious about his desire to close the gap at the top of the drivers' championship to team-mate Verstappen. The Dutchman is only 15 points ahead of Perez after the first three races, but the Mexican cannot allow that margin to grow by too much.

Perez expressed his disappointment about his position in qualifying, but remains optimistic looking forward to the Grand Prix on Sunday. He also continues to believe there is an opportunity to succeed in the race.

He said: "I'm a bit disappointed to be sitting P3. I felt definitely there was more [time] in it, my lap wasn't that clean. But if there's a place where you can race, it's definitely here."

Anna Malyon