Sergio Perez insists Max Verstappen is now "in the same boat" as himself after Red Bull's recent struggles continued at the Italian Grand Prix.
Perez, who finished in eighth at Monza last Sunday, complained about the balance of the RB20 along with his team-mate, who ended the race in sixth and 37 seconds behind eventual winner Charles Leclerc.
The Mexican also found tyre wear higher than expected and failed to make a two-stop strategy work in his favour and is now without a podium since the Chinese Grand Prix.
Perez has also gone 10 consecutive Grand Prix's without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in Formula 1.
He has struggled with his car numerous times this season, but now his difficulties have been matched by his team-mate and three-time world champion.
“I really feel like I’m in the same boat as I’ve been in for the last eight, 10 races but now all of a sudden Max has come into similar issues so yeah," Perez said.
"There is a little bit of a confusion there but it is clear in the data where the problem is.
“I am very confident the team here at track and back at home have the solution, we have produced great cars in the past and there is no reason why we cannot get back on track.
“We have no questions now, we know the problem. Given it is all related to balance, if we can find a fix then we can switch it around but for now, it’s head down until we find the answer."
The good news for Perez is that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is next up on the race calendar, a track he won at last season and in 2021.
Perez is also the driver who has scored the most points at Baku (100), with only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap being enough to overtake the Mexican if he fails to score points this time around (75 points for Hamilton).
Aston Martin are 'doing something really wrong', insists Alonso
Fernando Alonso insisted that Aston Martin are "doing something really wrong" after missing out on the top 10 at Monza despite Kevin Magnussen's penalty.
Alonso, who ended up outside the points for only the sixth time this season at the Italian Grand Prix, finished less than two tenths of a second behind the Dane's Haas.
Magnussen was handed a 10-second penalty after a collision with Alpine's Pierre Gasly, with the Spaniard and Williams' Alex Albon chasing hard to get within that margin.
However, Alonso's two-stop strategy saw him playing catch up after being jumped by the one-stopping Albon, with the 28-year-old finishing the race in ninth.
Alonso has scored in the past two races, while Aston Martin look assured of fifth in the constructors’ standings this season, being 40 points ahead of RB.
But Alonso couldn’t hide his frustration after the race at battling with cars lower down the field, having been fighting at the top end of the grid only 12 months ago.
“I hope we understand things that we are doing wrong, as definitely we are doing something really wrong and we get better for Baku,” Alonso said.
Alonso's team-mate, Lance Stroll, propped up the field after taking a third pit stop in an optimistic bid to deny anyone in the top 10 the fastest lap bonus point.
But their attention will now turn to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and should both Aston Martin's drivers score at least 14 points in Baku, they will become the 14th team to reach the 500-point mark in the history of Formula 1 (currently 486), also equalling Toro Rosso's record (500).
After Aston Martin's recent struggles, both Alonso and Stroll have hope that the team can entice former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey to the team after emerging as one of the front runners to claim his signature in recent weeks.
Vasseur ready for constructors' title fight after 'emotional' Monza win
Fred Vasseur has predicted a "huge fight" for the constructors' title this season after Ferrari's success at the Italian Grand Prix last week.
Charles Leclerc led McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in Monza, claiming his second victory of the season and the team's second win on home soil in the last six years.
Leclerc has now already scored 11 more points than in the entire previous season (206), and closed the gap to second-placed Norris in the drivers' championship to 24 points.
Having also secured a long-awaited triumph in Monaco in May, Vasseur believes Leclerc's win in Monza was among his best experiences as Ferrari team principal.
“For Ferrari and for Charles to win in Monaco, to win in Monza – I think it’s probably, with Imola, the two or three that you want to take in the season," Vasseur said.
"But, at the end of the day, you are not scoring more points in Monza than in Baku.
“Mathematically speaking it’s a win, emotionally speaking for sure it’s something very important because we have a huge support from the beginning of the week from the Tifosi, starting on Monday at the factory in Maranello.
“We had already lots of people in front of the entrance, and the best way to pay them back is to win.
"But it’s not easy, it’s not always under our control, but for sure for the team it was a good way to pay them back for their support.”
With eight races remaining, Ferrari are now only 39 points away from Red Bull at the head of the constructors’ standings ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next week.
But Baku has proved a difficult track to navigate for the Italian team in recent years, with Ferrari having taken the most pole positions without ever winning the race (four with Sebastian Vettel in 2018, and Leclerc from 2021 to 2023).
Should Leclerc achieve pole position, it will be the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five).
However, in terms of his expectations for the remainder of the campaign, Vasseur believes that the team will be part of a “huge fight” given how close the pack is.
“I think it would be a huge mistake to try to draw any conclusions or to change the plan [after winning at Monza],” Vasseur said.
“There is a very long way to go until Abu Dhabi, there is something like 450 points on the table.
“It’s so tight, the fight – honestly, I spent a couple of years on the pit wall but it’s the first time I think in F1 we have this situation where eight drivers can win the race, without an accident or crash.
"Four teams are able to win or be on the podium, and it’s changing from session to session.
“For me the most impressive was probably Spa where you had a McLaren in FP1, Red Bull in FP2, we started from pole and Mercedes won the race, and we have the feeling that it is almost like this everywhere, except Lando dominating last weekend in Zandvoort.
“But you can expect that, I think until the end of the season, it will be like this, that it will be a huge fight, and it’s true that with eight cars with this kind of competitiveness that one team can do a one-two and also a seven-eight.
"I don’t want to speak about DNF, but this can make a huge difference in terms of points. Let’s be focused on Baku first. Step by step we will see.”
Aston Martin owner hopeful of Newey signing
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spoken of his desire to draw legendary designer Adrian Newey to his team.
Red Bull announced in May that Newey would leave in early 2025 after 19 years at the core of the team.
Aston Martin are reportedly set to announce a deal with the 65-year-old in the coming weeks, having emerged as the most likely destination for him, despite initial interest from Ferrari.
While Aston Martin had not previously spoken publicly about their talks with Newey, Stroll has made his admiration of him known.
"I certainly hope so. Adrian and I have been talking not only for months but actually for years," Stroll told Bloomberg.
"Adrian is clearly the most talented and gifted individual in Formula One, based on his track record and history.
"So, I'd be very excited for Adrian to join our team, as I think every other Formula One team on the grid would feel exactly the same.
"You can definitely assume that [I would pull out all the stops]."
Newey's decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the reigning F1 constructors' champions.
Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.
Newey will not have to serve a period of gardening leave and will be able to oversee the development of a 2026 car.
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