Alonso sends blunt warning to Perez as pressure mounts on Red Bull ace

21 June 2023 , 07:56

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Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Sergio Perez (Image: Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Fernando Alonso has sent a warning to Sergio Perez following his second-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Alonso bagged 18 points in Montreal after finishing second behind reigning world champion Max Verstappen, while Perez could only manage sixth. The result means Alonso is now just nine points behind Perez in the Driver Standings, with the Red Bull driver currently second behind team-mate Verstappen.

And Alonso is feeling confident about his chances of catching Perez, who has now missed out on a podium spot in the last three races. When asked if he thinks he can beat him, Alonso simply replied: "Yes."

Perez, meanwhile, was left feeling "concerned" about his lack of pace in Montreal. "Today was a bit of a surprise, we just didn't have the pace," he admitted. "It was looking good on the hard tyre initially but once the Safety Car came in, I couldn't recover the grip on that tyre and we didn't have the pace on the medium.

"It is important we take time to understand the weekend because this race, in particular, has been poor in pace and we need to get on top of it. I have the confidence in myself and know what I can do but today we were not good.

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"Right now, I am more concerned about my drop in performance than my place in the championship because the pace is just not there. You never have no pressure on you, it has been a difficult period but I am here to perform and I need to do that in the next few races."

Perez has been backed to rediscover his best form by Red Bull chief Christian Horner (Michael Potts/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Red Bull chief Christian Horner, however, is confident Perez will soon rediscover the form which earned him wins in Saudi Arabia and Miami. "If you look at the points, there's a big split between the two of them [Verstappen and Perez], if anything that will take the pressure off him," Horner told Sky Sports.

"He has nothing to lose now. He just needs to relax, he can breathe out, and drive like we know he's capable of like he did in Azerbaijan and some of the races earlier this year. Barcelona was a good recovery from him and that will give him confidence.

Horner continued: "There is not a driver out there today who would beat Max in that car [in the form he is in]. He [Perez] is up against a driver at the top of his form and that's very tough. Mentally, it's a really tough thing to deal with. But the points now may take away the pressure a little and the pressure he puts on himself."

Matthew Cooper