Sergio Pérez was one of the drivers who changed teams last year, along with Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel. In general, all of them needed a long period of adaptation to be in total harmony with their new team, as could be seen in the Australian and the MCL35M, or the German and the AMR21.
Red Bull signed the Mexican to accompany Max Verstappen after Racing Point no longer had him, and he also had problems adapting to the design philosophy of the RB16B.
Pérez pointed out that people underestimate the differences in behavior that can be found in the cars of one team and another, he even stated that the drivers themselves are not aware of how difficult it is to change the team or the power unit supplier.
“Even as a driver you underestimate those things until you live them, you experience them”, commented ‘Checo’. “Driving with a different engine is a completely different task. Just like doing it with a different car philosophy, with a high rake instead of a low rake setup, is a task that requires a different approach.”
The one from Guadalajara also said that he went through a process of forgetting what he did before and practicing new ways of driving to get the most out of Red Bull, something that took him several months.
“You have to learn new techniques. What I used to do, nothing worked here,” he explained. “It would be the same, for example, if Max went to Mercedes, because they are very different. The lap time is identical, but the way that time is achieved is very different.
Asked by Motorsport.com about his approach this winter with a year’s experience at Red Bull, Pérez said the 2021 campaign allowed him to have a grassroots and familiarize himself with the Milton Keynes outfit.
“We have a base that we can work on and improve on, so that makes a big difference,” added the Mexican. “I already know people, I know who to ask what, and how to get the most out of each person around me, so it’s a very different landscape.”
