Sergio Perez explains Red Bull plan to beat Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes at Spanish GP

F1: Hamilton admits new Mercedes car has less downforce

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Red Bull new boy Sergio Perez has claimed that he and Max Verstappen will need to keep their tyre temperatures in check around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in order to pip Lewis Hamilton to the chequered flag at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The Mercedes talisman currently leads Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship standings by eight points after winning Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix with a thoroughly impressive drive.

The 36-year-old could only manage to qualify in second place and slipped down to third during the early stages of the race, but battled back to seal a comfortable victory.

The result hinted at a potential shift in power at the front of the grid, with Red Bull having been quicker than Mercedes since pre-season testing.

Portimao’s slippery, undulating surface caused Verstappen and Perez a number of problems over the course of the weekend, but the Austrian outfit will be eyeing a swift return to the top step of the podium in Spain.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is known for its good mixture of low, medium and high-speed corners along with the occasional straight.

Turns three and nine are taken at close to full throttle, which can accelerate tyre degradation over the course of the 66-lap race.

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Perez has claimed that maintaining the condition of his tyres will be crucial in deciding the outcome of his weekend, but suggested that he is confident of another successful Grand Prix for Red Bull in their battle with defending champions Mercedes.

“I think we should be in the fight right from the start,” Perez explained in a press release.

“It is a very particular track, with very slow corners and then three and nine are high speed corners, so the key here is to find the right balance and to take care of the right side tyres.

“The wind is also something to consider. It’s a very tricky circuit, but as I said, we should be competitive from the beginning and fight for the win.”

Perez has made a decent start to life at Red Bull since leaving Racing Point, now Aston Martin, at the end of last season.

The Mexican has finished in the top five on two out of three occasions, and out-qualified Verstappen with a near-perfect lap at last month’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix before a tricky race saw him cross the line in 11th.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner recently claimed that he has been impressed with Perez’s early contributions.

“You can see just the races are coming together for him,” Horner told reporters in Portugal.

“When he was in clean air he managed to pass Norris, who passed him fully off the track, again another track limits inconsistency.

“Once he was in clean air, he was doing the same lap time as the leaders and at certain points was setting the fastest lap. So I think it’s really coming together for him.

“I’m happy with the progress he’s making and it’s only with more time and experience that everything just comes together for him.”

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