Sergio Perez reveals it has not been easy to watch Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen’s winning F1 streak

Sergio Perez is 125 points adrift of Max Verstappen going into the Dutchman’s home event at Zandvoort this weekend; watch the Dutch Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1, with the track action under way on Friday at 11.30am and Sunday’s race starting at 2pm

Sergio Perez has revealed it has not been easy to watch team-mate Max Verstappen’s recent dominance in Formula 1.

Verstappen has won every race since April’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and could equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins from 2013 with victory on home soil this Sunday at Zandvoort.

During that time, Perez failed to reach Q3 five times in a row and has taken three podiums from the eight races.

“Certainly it hasn’t been easy for me because I know the car’s potential,” said Perez. “Max has been exploiting that but when you don’t really have that feeling but you know that your car has a massive potential, it’s not an easy situation as a driver to be in.

“But certainly we have got a great race car and we just have to make sure we utilise it, because you never know when you’re going to have a car that is as good as this one.

“I’m mainly focused on myself. There are 10 races and I just want to get some victories and get that consistency, like we had in the last races and finish the season very strong. It’s only going to help next year, so that’s my target.”

Perez opens up on driving style issues

Perez won two of the opening four events this year and was on the verge of taking the championship lead when he started from pole position at the Miami Grand Prix, with Verstappen in ninth.

But, Verstappen came through the field to win and Perez has also struggled in mixed conditions which have affected several events this year.

“There is no secret that as the car developed, I struggled a little bit more. Things were not coming naturally anymore and I had to go very deep on my driving style, adapt to it quite a bit, and change it, because the car has simply changed and I think in the last two races were a lot better in that regard,” explained Perez.

“It’s not easy because with amount of practice we have, you kind of follow one direction or the other and then you got stuck with it for the rest of the weekend. So it is not an easy situation for a driver to have.”

He added: “I think we have understood a lot of things, especially on the development side, how we can figure it out. The team really knows what I really like and where I do feel more comfortable at.

“We’ve done some improvements during the summer break to try to make me feel more comfortable, so hopefully this second-half of the season we can show a good improvement.

“It is quite complicated and I will have to go in more detail than I would like to. It’s just the sharpness basically at medium and high speed that I’ve been struggling with, especially when we had tricky conditions did change, takes away some of the confidence. I’m OK with it. It’s another challenge for me, so I’m looking forward to that.

“I think at the end of the day, the team is trying to make the fastest car, and sometimes the development suits one style better than the other. That’s just how it works.”

Verstappen: Hopefully we can break a few records

Along with the winning streak record, Verstappen also has the opportunity to score the most points, podiums and wins a season.

Red Bull could become the first time to go unbeaten in a campaign too in a year which may be seen as a historic one in years to come.

“Hopefully [we can break] a few records but it’s not always in our hands entirely but so far it’s been a great first half of the year. Hopefully even with the break, we can keep it going,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

On whether he feels extra pressure on home soil, he added: “Honestly, I think it’s just great. I mean for me, it doesn’t bring a weight on my shoulders or extra pressure, it’s just amazing that this is possible.

“Nobody 10 years ago even thought about a Grand Prix here, and that we’re able to do this now is fantastic.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Dutch GP schedule

FRIDAY AUGUST 25
9am: F2 Practice
11am: Dutch GP Practice One (session starts 11.30am)
12.55pm: F2 Qualifying
2.45pm: Dutch GP Practice Two (session starts 3pm)
4.15pm: The F1 Show

SATURDAY AUGUST 26
10.15am: Dutch GP Practice Three (session starts 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Dutch GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: Dutch GP Qualifying

SUNDAY AUGUST 27
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
2pm: THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP reaction
5.30pm: Dutch GP highlights

Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Dutch GP and all sessions will be live on Sky Sports F1 from this Friday. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW for just £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime