Sergio Perez believes Red Bull could struggle to flex all of their sizeable Formula 1 muscles on the tight streets of Monaco.
The reigning constructors’ champions have gone the first five races of 2023 undefeated with Max Verstappen claiming three wins compared to Perez’s two, with all victories coming at a canter.
The majority of Red Bull’s pace has come from straight-line speed in races but with very little in the way of flat-out sections, Monaco could be a tougher challenge for the Mexican and his team.
“We certainly know that this is not our strongest circuit,” Perez told select members of the media including Total-Motorsport.com ahead of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
“We will struggle to show our strengths but it’s still Monaco. I think come Saturday you will need a really good warm-up on your tyres, that’s the key around here. Anything can happen.”
Boring for the fans
Perez arrives in Monaco as the defending race winner after a rain-affected 2022 edition where he also qualified on pole position.
But despite the excitement it brings the drivers taking on the close barriers, Perez admits that the race itself can be a bore-fest for fans watching from home.
“If you make a mistake you end up in the wall,” Perez added. “There is no margin for error. Sunday can be quite boring for the fans but not for the drivers.
“We all enjoy Saturday because we know qualifying is everything here and we have to make it count.”
