Christian Horner Says Sergio Perez has Nothing to Lose

Team Principal at Red Bull spoke wth F1.com regarding the recent success of Max Verstappen and the woes his teammate Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez has faced. Specifically Perez has failed to make it to Q3 in the last two races. This failure to qualify in the top 10 greatly impacted his ability to compete for podiums. It also reduced the amount of championship points acquired while Verstappen has maximized his point advantage from Monaco and Spain.

Christian Horner Comments on Perez

When speaking to F1.com Horner stated, “He has nothing to lose now, and I think he just needs to relax, he can breathe out, and just drive like we know he’s capable of, like he did in Azerbaijan and some of the early races this year. Being Max Verstappen’s team mate… Take nothing away, there’s not a driver out there today, I believe, that would have beaten Max in that car today,” Horner continued. “He’s up against a driver that is at the top of his form, and that’s very tough. Checo, mentally, it’s a really tough thing to deal with. But as I say, I think now, there is that separation in the points, that may actually take the pressure off him a little, and the expectation he’s putting on himself, he needs to let go of that now and just be free to drive.”

While Horner offered these words it is unlikely that Perez will welcome the sympathy. The 2023 season is the first chance Checo has had at a title run in his F1 career. At the age of 33 it may also be his last opportunity in a top team car. Red Bull did give Perez a new two-year deal until end of 2024. However, with Verstappen’s form seemingly improving week by week its hard to imagine a scenario where Checo can remain competitive.

Currently Max Verstappen leads the championship by 53 points.

Full F1 Championship Points Standings

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The 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix has concluded and championship leader Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) continued his dominance by securing his fifth win on the season in seven races. Verstappen has finished on the podium in every race this season. Verstappen extends his season total to 170 points; 53 points clear of his teammate. However, the story in Spain is with the improvements seen by Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton led the team to a P2 finish. His second of the year. Teammate George Russell finished P3. This result comes after Mercedes has had a few weeks to work out the kinks with their newest upgrades. It appears that work has paid off. Verstappen stated after the race, “It’s a big pleasure to drive with a car like this, “A win here, it’s incredible. It was a strong weekend from myself, from the team. Hopefully we can keep this up!”

Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) bounce back form his Q2 exit and finished 4th which is a positive result given running into the gravel in qualifying in Spain and crashing in qualifying last weekend in Monaco. While his grip on a possible title run is dwindling he remains in second place in the drivers championship by 18 points ahead of Fernando Alonso.

There were no retirements during the race.

Full Race Results

Check out F1.com for video coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) secured his first Spanish GP Pole today. Verstappen ran 0.5 seconds faster than Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) in Q3. Verstappen stated, “The car was really good. Qualifying started off a bit tricky with the weather, but by Q3 the car was on rails. It was very enjoyable to drive today. I love the track, I love the fans and I have some great memories here.” Lando Norris (McLaren) was able to find pace that he hasn’t had all season to secure P3 for McLaren. Teammate Oscar Piastri also made it to Q3 and finished 10th. This is the fourth time both McLarens qualified in the top 10 in 2023 which offers a glimpse of positivity for the camp. Pierre Gasly finished 4th but was handed 2 separate 3 place grid penalties for impeding Verstappen and Sainz during qualifying dropping him to P10.

Multiple drivers had issues with patches of slickness as the rain created pockets of wetness on the track. There were multiple slide outs and spins as the drivers chose to remain on slicks because the conditions did not warrant intermediates. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) once again fell victim to qualifying after running wide into the gravel at turn 5 in Q2. The mistake ended his qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was able to carve out a P5 start ahead of teammate George Russell who failed to make it out of Q2. Both Aston Martins finished Q3 securing another double top 10 qualifying for the Aston Martin side this year.

Full Qualifying results are below

F1 Spanish GP Qualifying Results

Action for the Spanish GP gets started tomorrow. For more coverage on the events leading up to the race visit F1.com

Formula 1 lands in Spain this weekend for the Spanish Grad Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It’s a fast turn around for the teams. The teams just finished racing in Monaco this past Sunday. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) continues his push for the 2023 championship. After his last win in Monaco Verstappen is clear 39 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez who had a nightmare race in Monaco. Perez will be looking to bounce back in Spain to ensure his teammate doesn’t end his championship hopes.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) continues to show fans why he’s been in the sport for 20+ years. Alonso currently sits in third ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in fourth and George Russell in fifth. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are still looking for answers to the start of the 2023 season. The team has shown glimpses of promise in qualifying and practice but those events have not led to race results for the Scuderia. Ferrari will be looking to change this pattern in Spain this weekend.

Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur spoke to F1.com regarding Ferrari upgrades for the weekend. “There are a lot of questions, the first one is about package. I think it’s not just about potential, and package and upgrades, but we also have to operate the package in a better window. The first target for us is not just to put downforce on the car, it’s to have the car a bit more consistent, and on top of the update we have a big room for improvement with the current car in terms of performance.

Vasseur Continued Discussing A Car Redesign

“Do we have to restart from scratch on the group on the car? I would say that, as long as I’m convinced we can improve on the current car, it would be a mistake during the season to change completely the target. The introduction of a package, you are not doing 100% of the usage of the package the first race. It will be an opportunity for us to continue to develop the car with this base and I hope we will do a step forward in Barcelona for sure, but it won’t be the end of the development of the car, we have updates for the next 2-3 races coming in after this one.”

The race weekend schedule can be found here:
2023 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix Schedule

Broadcast Details can be found here

World Broadcast Details

Check out F1.com for more exclusive coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix throughout the weekend.

Max Verstappen won the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix by a commanding 27 seconds. Verstappen led the race for the entire distance after starting from pole position. The victory marks his 39th career win. With a surprise mid-race downpour, the circuit conditions deteriorated quickly. After 51 laps, the rain led to multiple drivers losing grip. Monaco is a tight turned circuit that doesn’t offer many opportunities for forgiveness when losing grip.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished in second, where he started behind Verstappen. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) secured his first podium of the year, finishing 3rd. The Mercedes team found pace early in the race to catapult Lewis Hamilton and George Russell into fourth and fifth place, rounding out the top 5 and securing a large chunk of points for the Mercedes team.

Hometown driver, Charles Leclerc, finished 6th, which will be a disappointing race for him after losing out on his qualifying position due to the three place grid penalty from which he never recovered. The woes continued for the Ferrari team as Sainz fell victim to the rain and had a spin out that caused him to slide into one of the track run offs. He was able to recover the car and finish in 8th place.

Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate was not able to finish in the points after crashing in qualifying.

Max Verstappen Offered His Thoughts on the Race

After the race Verstappen stated to F1.com, “It was quite a difficult one because we were on the medium initially and Fernando was on the hard tire. We didn’t want to go that long, but we had too. The rain was coming, and we didn’t know really what was going on. The tires were graining and then took a few laps to get through that graining phase and the pace picked up a little bit, but it was still very tricky to drive. Then it started to rain lap by lap, and then we had to make the call to go on to the inters.”

He continued, “It was incredibly slippery. When you are that far in the lead you don’t want to push too hard, but you don’t want to lose too much time, so it’s quite difficult in that scenario. I clipped the walls a few times, it was super difficult out there, but that’s Monaco!”

You can find more coverage on the race at F1.com.

Full Monaco Grand Prix Results

The 2023 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session ended earlier today with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) snatching pole position away from Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Verstappen edged out the top finish by one tenth of a second. Charles Leclerc finish third but will received a 3 place grid penalty for impeding Lando Norris (McLaren) during the session. Vertsappen’s teammate Sergio Perez had an unfortunate crash in Q1 which will see him start from the back of the grid. ON a circuit like Monaco improving from this position will almost guarantee that Perez will start on the hard compound tires and hope for a safety car or another on track incident to help him fight through the field. Monaco is not know for producing many over takes so Perez will have his work cut out for him.

The Mercedes upgrades for the W14 do not seem to have had the boost Lewis Hamilton was looking for. He was able to muster a P6 finish in qualifying with teammate George Russell in P8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) had a phenomenal qualifying finishing a season highest P4 for the Alpine side. Oscar Piastri showed vast improvement finishing P11 for McLaren) Full qualifying results are below.

Full Monaco Qualifying Results

Day 1 of the Monaco Grand prix weekend has concluded with championship leader Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) on top of the table ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). Lando Norris (McLaren) ran 5th fastest which is an improvement based on recent form. If he can carry this success into qualifying he may be able to secure a result for the side. McLaren has had a disappointing season to say the least so the team will be looking for any positives for this weekend. Mercedes brings their first round of upgrade for the W14. There did not seem to be a drastic improvement in pace but we will stay tuned for qualifying to determine their true pace come race time.

Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) ran 3rd fastest before crashing; causing a red flag. The session was restarted with 12 minutes left. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) made a late charge after Verstappen but the dutchman held on to the top spot. FP3 and qualifying are tomorrow morning. For now check out the full results for FP2 below.

FP2 Results

For more coverage be sure to check out F1.com.

F1.com reports that Honda will make its return to Formula 1 with Aston Martin as a power unit supplier. After exiting F1 in a major capacity in 2021 Honda has become intrigued by the new sustainability requirements that will come with the 2026 regulations. Honda still provides power unit input for Red Bull and will do so until 2025 per their current agreement. However, with Red Bull investing heavily in their own powertrains division the merit of this relationship is likely waning with time. Red Bull previously announced their partnership with Ford. This move closed the door on a Honda return with Red Bull. Honda had no choice but to look elsewhere and Aston martin was the best fit.

Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe stated to F1.com, “One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality, and it will become a platform which will facilitate the development of our electrification technologies.” He continued, “Honda is a company that has a history of growing by taking on challenges and winning world-class races. With the new 2026 regulations, the key for winning will be a compact, lightweight, and high-power electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and swift power output, as well as the energy management technology.”

Mibe continued on the goal to achieve sustainable racing

“Honda has the utmost respect for the FIA, which made a bold decision to introduce these new and challenging regulations to ensure the sustainability of both racing activities and the global environment, and for the Formula 1 Group, which has been enhancing the brand value of F1 and ensuring F1’s evolvement as the most prestigious automobile racing in the world.”

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll said: “We share a mutual drive, determination, and relentless ambition to succeed on track. Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is longstanding and incredibly impressive.”Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation stated that Honda will not supply power units to any other teams in F1 as part of the move.

As reported by Daily Mail UK, Ferrari are poised to offer Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1) a £40 million contract to join the Scuderia in 2024. Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes is set to expire at the end of 2023. Hamilton and the Mercedes side have been in talks over a contract for months with nothing inked to date. Ferrari could retain Charles Leclerc and end its relationship with Carlos Sainz or Swap Charles Leclerc for Hamilton to retains Sainz. Regardless either scenario has created a frenzy in the media.

It’s clear that money is not an issue for Hamilton. Any offer he accepts will be financially lucrative. At this point in his career a new contract is more about extending his legacy and finding a car that can carry him to another world championship. Mercedes have indicated they are bringing a number of upgrades to Monaco this weekend. It’s possible that Hamilton wants to see the performance of the car. As it stands currently before making any major decisions. With the months ticking by he will have to make a decision sooner rather than later.

Ferrari have hinted that the rumors on such a move are not accurate. There are reports that Ferrari is looking to sign Charles Leclerc to a contract extension. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are contracted with Ferrari through the 2024 season. It’s not looking like a Ferrari move is likely come the end of the 2023 season. There would need to be a contract buyout which would negatively impact the cost cap for Ferrari. We will report back as this story continues to develop.

The FIA has announced the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will be cancelled for the 2023 season. The cancellation comes in response to extreme weather patterns in the area. The weather has raised safety concerns for staff and drivers traveling to the circuit. Drivers and teams appear to be in support of the cancellation given early report of mass flooding and road closures which would impact access to the venue. The FIA released the following statement via their twitter account.

It does not appear that the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix  will be added to the end of the season. The decision is welcomed after the 2020 season saw a debacle arise in a similar situation. The FIA was not decisive in cancelling a race in Australia. The lack of action in Australia was purely due to the financial aspects of the grand prix and not the safety of the drivers, staff and patrons. Many local citizens have lost their homes in the flooding in Italy. It appears the FIA has learned from the past and done the right thing by calling the race off. We will report more on this situation as additional details unfold.

Comments from F1 Leadership

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected. I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation – they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud of them. The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation.”

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “My thoughts and those of the entire FIA family are with those affected by the terrible situation in the Emilia-Romagna region. The safety of everyone involved and recovery efforts are the top priority at this time.”

Ferrari Loses Home Race

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola is a home race for Ferrari. It will be a disappointment to see it removed from the schedule. However, safety is first in this sport and Ferrari will push their efforts towards Monaco later this month.

For more information check out F1.com