Rewind to the 2022 Japanese GP. The 2022 season was Red Bull’s last season with Honda as its engine supplier. With their highly successful partnership coming to an end, Red Bull couldn’t have paid better tribute to the Japanese brand. With Max Verstappen in P1 and Sergio Perez in P4, the Milton-Keynes outfit clinched its 5th Constructors’ Championship in a rain-marred shortened race in Suzuka, a Honda-owned circuit. Although the Honda name is no longer next to Red Bull’s, Red Bull Powertrains is basically a Honda operation under a Red Bull guise. Needless to say, the Japanese manufacturer still plays a vital part in Red Bull’s functioning, and this season, again, it couldn’t have asked for a better outing. One person who would’ve, though, was Perez.

The Mexican hasn’t had the best season in 2023. After starting the year on the best foot he could, everything started unraveling a few races in. Since then, he’s been like a shadow of himself, trying (and failing) to match Verstappen. As the Dutchman cruised to yet another victory, Suzuka would’ve been an outing to forget for Perez. Even so, Christian Horner had nothing but good things to say about the Mexican.

Sergio Perez will “bounce back” after the Japanese GP

A few races ago, Max Verstappen said, “We are fighting for the team championship, but I think I can do that on my own at the moment.” That’s precisely what Verstappen had to do at the Japanese GP. For Red Bull to win its 6th title, the team had to outscore Mercedes by just 1 point. Despite a horror show of an outing for Perez that ended in retirement, Verstappen ensured he gave Red Bull and Honda what they wanted—the championship in Japan. As the reigning champion came home in P1 after a perfectly executed race, Red Bull was crowned the champion.

But what happened on the other side of the garage? A first-lap incident with Lewis Hamilton left Perez’s front wing damaged. When he rejoined the race with a new wing, an overtake attempt on Kevin Magnussen (much like the one on Alex Albon in Singapore) ended with more front-wing damage for Perez. That’s when his team decided to retire his car. Nevertheless, Red Bull won the championship, and Horner encouraged Perez during the celebrations.

In the post-race interview, Horner said, “[Perez] went through a few front wings today, but he will bounce back in the next races. I am sure. He has been a big part of securing this championship as well. It’s very fitting to win this championship here, in front of Honda.” F1 is set to return in two weeks in Qatar, Perez will look to have a clean weekend. With the Constructors’ Championship done and dusted and Verstappen likely to seal the Drivers’ Championship there, Perez has only himself to concentrate on. 

Read More: Red Bull Takes Bizarre Decision as Sergio Perez Is Forced to Retire Twice at the Japanese GP

Christian Horner may have gone easy on Perez, but his teammate wasn’t as kind after qualifying on Saturday.

Max Verstappen has no sympathy for Sergio Perez

Qualifying has never been Perez’s strongest suit. Although he’s usually really good at fighting through the field, that’s not what Red Bull expects of him. Considering the RB19 is the fastest car on the grid, Perez should be right up there with Verstappen. Even if he can’t match Verstappen’s pace, Red Bull expects him to at least secure second-place finishes. That hasn’t happened frequently enough in 2023, and Perez’s qualifying in Suzuka only made things worse.

Verstappen went out in the RB19 at Suzuka and was completely dialed in. After a disappointing Singapore GP, he was out for revenge. On Saturday, Verstappen got pole position by a margin of 0.581s—a Suzuka record. How far ahead was he of Perez? 0.773s. That’s no small margin in F1. In a post-qualifying interview, the Dutchman was asked, “The entire weekend, you’ve been a lot faster than Checo. Now, again, 0.7 seconds. Do you have an explanation for this? Is there something?” He simply stated, “No, the only thing I can say is our cars are the same.”

Do you think Sergio Perez can bounce back in Qatar? How do you think the Mexican will perform in the six remaining races of the season?

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