On the back foot after qualifying, Sergio Perez admits he and Red Bull should’ve done a better job in the Las Vegas Grand Prix but that “we didn’t”.

Perez took the gamble of starting Saturday night’s race on the hard Pirelli tyres despite every one of the drivers ahead of him lining up on the mediums.

Sergio Perez scored just a single point in Las Vegas

However, high degradation blew his strategy and he pitted on lap 20 for a set of medium tyres having been running as high as P2 when those ahead of him pitted. But as his tyre fell off, he dropped to seventh before pitting for a fresh set of medium tyres.

That also cost him as he was on the mediums while those he was racing used the hard tyres, Perez having to then pit ahead of them due to tyre deg.

He went on to finish the Grand Prix in 10th place, scoring just a single point towards Red Bull’s Constructors’ Championship fight. On a night where Ferrari scored big, Red Bull dropped to 30 points behind Ferrari who closed the gap to McLaren to 24 points.

Although Perez admits both he and Red Bull should’ve done a better job, he is adamant they are heading in the right direction.

Sergio Perez’s deficit to Max Verstappen laid bare

👉F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

👉F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“I think we got caught out with the level of degradation that we had out there,” he said. “We were not expecting this level of deg and that hurt us quite a lot unfortunately.

“We used the best tyre at the wrong time and then I had to do quite a long stint on the medium and I was vulnerable in the middle. It was all a little bit out of sync.

“I think yesterday we understood that this is how it is. The way I see it right now, we are close to turning things around. The pace is there, it’s coming.

“We are making progress, it is coming. We understood exactly what happened yesterday in qualifying.

“We should’ve been done a better job and we didn’t. We will work hard as a team to get back in the last races.”

As for Red Bull’s chances of adding to the Constructors’ title to Max Verstappen’s Drivers’ crown, Perez says it’s still a possibility.

“It’s not mathematically lost, we’re gonna keep pushing,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com. “I really hope that in Qatar we can turn things around and be a lot more competitive.

“I think we really need to solve the issues we’ve had this year. I think the team knows exactly where we are at, and Red Bull is the best team, and I believe that we can have a much better car for next year.”

Verstappen is officially the 2024 F1 World Champion with his P5 in Las Vegas handing him an unassailable 63-point over Lando Norris. Perez, who has scored just 21 points since the summer break, is P8 with his Red Bull seat on the line.

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