Perez happy after first day in Bahrain: "The RB20 is a step forward"

The second day of testing in Bahrain took an unexpected turn for Sergio Perez. The Mexican was only supposed to drive in the morning session, but he only managed 20 laps so Red Bull Racing decided to flip the schedule.

Perez after exhilarating day of testing in Bahrain

In the morning session, Perez had problems with an overheated brake, losing precious time in Red Bull's pit box. Once underway again, he suffered another setback: the session was ended early after Charles Leclerc hit a loose drain cover, causing a red flag. As a result, the decision was made to extend the afternoon session, which led Red Bull to decide to let Max Verstappen drive on Friday instead of Thursday.

"t was unexpected to be in the car all day today but the delays meant my early runs were cut short, so the Team decided to extend my day and I am back in the car again tomorrow morning," Perez said.

"Generally speaking, I think the RB20 is a step forward for the Team and we have gone in the right direction for us. It is a tricky track here from morning to afternoon, dialing in set-up and getting to understand those different set-ups because the track is changing on every outing, so you must base a lot on your feeling," he explained.

Perez is keen to have a successful season, after he started 2023 strongly but ended up in a downward spiral. "I have been working over the winter on understanding last season from a personal perspective, in order to start the season on an upward curve. You are always learning and always want to get better and that’s no different for me in 2024."