Perez: 'A good series of races helps, but that still says nothing'

What could play into Perez's hands is that Leclerc might be set back in the starting grid. The Monegasque would possibly appear at the start in Austin with a new engine, which means he faces a grid penalty of five places. On the other hand, Leclerc's engine is fresher than Perez's and thus may run harder on Saturday and Sunday.

Perez, however, is mainly focusing on his own performance. "Would be nice to get a strong result this weekend," he said. After the summer break, Red Bull Racing managed to win all Grands Prix. Perez won one of them, and teammate Max Verstappen was the fastest elsewhere. "It helps when you have a good run of races, confidence and momentum is with you. But that doesn't mean anything. You have to go out there and prove, again and again, hopefully, this weekend will be a good one."

At Red Bull, they will not slack off, the 32-year-old driver promises. "It's been a tremendous year for Red Bull, I hope we are able to finish it on a high. Throughout the season, we have been making the right calls and pushing at the right times. I hope we can clinch the title soon," he refers to the constructors' championship. That title is a reality when Ferrari does not score more than 18 World Cup points more than Red Bull this weekend.