Formula 1: Sergio Perez makes contradictory statement after Imola struggles

Sergio Perez's struggles have begun after a relatively strong start to the 2024 Formula 1 season. Coincidentally, his struggles began at around the same time last year also.

The 34-year-old has found himself not feeling so comfortable in the RB20, and a few mistakes during qualifying at Imola cost himself and Red Bull what could be crucial points. As a result, rumors continue to swirl about the Mexican’s future with the team beyond 2024.

A lot has been said about Perez’s performance during Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, and he too had a lot to add. But there was one particular aspect he discussed which contradicts his performance at other tracks in the recent past.

The nature of Imola makes it one of the more difficult tracks on the schedule.

According to The Athletic, Perez made a few comments about the 21-turn, 3.05-mile (4.908-kilometer) road course itself after the race.

"This track is not made for Formula 1, in terms of races. When we qualified P11, our weekend was over."

- Sergio Perez

Imola resembles typical Formula 1 street circuit due to how difficult it is to overtake there. But saying that Imola is not made for Formula 1 is a clear overreaction, especially given Perez’s successes at other difficult tracks -- specifically tight street circuits.

Over the last few seasons, Perez has won in Baku (twice), Monaco, Singapore, and Jeddah, all of which are street circuits. In fact, all five of his wins with Red Bull have come at such venues, and Monaco particularly is regarded as the most difficult overtaking track on the schedule.

This contradiction really makes one wonder whether Perez was serious or whether his frustration and emotion were simply showing after a rough weekend.

There was certainly reason for some distress from Perez’s side, as he finished in eighth place after not having placed lower than fifth in the season's first six races. He also dropped to third in the driver standings for the first time in 2024.

As the Monaco Grand Prix approaches this weekend on the tight streets of Monte Carlo, Perez will definitely be looking to turn things around. His two most recent starts in the Principality ended on opposite sides of the spectrum, with a win in 2022 and a 16th place finish last year, when he finished two laps behind teammate and race winner Max Verstappen.