Sergio Perez is convinced that even if Max Verstappen hadn’t retired from the Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari would still have emerged victorious.
Verstappen, who secured his third consecutive pole position at the start of the F1 2024 season in Australia, experienced a rear right brake issue early in the race, forcing him to retire prematurely.
Despite Red Bull’s strong start to the season with consecutive 1-2 finishes, Ferrari seized the opportunity and secured a 1-2 finish of their own with Carlos Sainz leading the charge ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Although Verstappen had been dominant in the races leading up to Australia, Perez believes that even with a fully functional Red Bull RB20 and a fit Verstappen, Ferrari would still have been formidable competitors at Albert Park.
In response to a question from Sky F1 about whether Ferrari would have won regardless of Verstappen’s retirement, Perez affirmed, “Absolutely, yes.”
Expanding on his viewpoint, Perez, who finished fifth in the race, highlighted the challenge of managing front tires on race day, suggesting that McLaren also had an edge over Red Bull. Lando Norris of McLaren claimed third place on the podium alongside the Ferrari drivers.
“We lacked pace unfortunately,” Perez acknowledged. “From early on, it was evident that Ferrari and McLaren were ahead of us.
We struggled to find the right balance throughout the weekend. There’s room for improvement in the upcoming races.”
Regarding Red Bull’s pace compared to Ferrari, Perez’s opinion contrasts with that of Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko.
Marko argued that the race outcome would have been “completely different” if Verstappen hadn’t faced retirement issues, citing Verstappen’s ability to keep up with Sainz’s pace despite his car troubles.
“In the race, Max indicated that despite the issues, he was able to match Sainz’s pace quite comfortably,” Marko told Sky Germany. “With Max in the race, the result would have been entirely different.”
