Perez fearful of McLaren's attack: 'Must deliver perfect weekend'

Sergio Perez admits he must start delivering perfect weekends for Red Bull Racing as the pressure from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes increases. McLaren and Lando Norris, in particular, have closed the pace gap significantly, meaning the pressure is on Red Bull in the Constructors World Championship.

Since the Miami Grand Prix weekend at the start of May, Sergio Perez has scored just eight points in the World Championship. In that same time, Verstappen has won three Grands Prix and had to fight a strong Norris alone.

Perez missed the mark in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix and had to take a three-place grid penalty, but he didn't advance significantly in the race. He ended up in P8. Perez now admits McLaren's form means he can't get away with poor weekends.

"I think they're [McLaren] really back, they're really strong, so it's going to be quite important to make sure that we are able to deliver a perfect weekend for the team. I think McLaren are looking, at the moment, like the strongest team, so we have to make sure that we are able to come back. At different tracks, we can also be a bit more competitive," Perez said in a conversation with Sky Sports.

Perez highlights that upgrades will be applied to his Red Bull car in the coming weeks. But he doesn't believe that will be the key point of difference. Instead, he focuses on the balance of the car.

"There are some upgrades, same as everyone, but I think the most important thing is to maximise the balance. This has been really difficult on my side," Perez explained.