Perez is undoubtedly hoping for another victory in Jeddah, but he faces a challenge in the form of his teammate Max Verstappen, who has emerged victorious in every race since the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mexican got off to a solid start in the 2024 season, his final one with Red Bull under his current agreement. He secured a second-place finish behind Verstappen in the season opener in Bahrain, which is exactly what the team expects from him.
As Perez looks ahead to this week’s race, he expressed his anticipation in Red Bull’s race preview: “I am excited to head to Jeddah this weekend following our strong team performance in Bahrain. While the first race wasn’t flawless, we have a solid foundation to build upon and plenty of room for improvement with the car.”
He added, “The Jeddah race always provides plenty of excitement, and it could be a closely contested one. I had a fantastic victory last year and I would love to replicate that success.”
Verstappen, who dominated the Bahrain race, maintained a cautious outlook by highlighting the differences between Sakhir and Jeddah. He said, “The team had a fantastic start to the season, and I am eager for the challenges of Jeddah. This circuit is a high-speed semi-street track with less tire degradation compared to Bahrain. The warmer weather also adds an interesting dimension to the performance differences among the teams.”
He continued, “Last year, we performed well on this track, so I hope we can achieve a similar outcome and deliver an exceptional performance for the team.”
Verstappen aims to extend his winning streak in the last eight Grand Prix events, which commenced with the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. His goal is to secure his fourth consecutive F1 title. In the previous Jeddah race in 2023, he finished in second place behind Perez and will be determined to improve upon that result this time around.