"It's a big step": Sergio Perez on what he needs to do to challenge Max Verstappen in 2024 

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez claimed that it would be a 'big step' for him to challenge Max Verstappen in the 2024 season.

Perez has been under scrutiny since the early part of the 2023 season after he failed spectacularly in his title bid against his three-time world champion teammate.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the Mexican pointed out that he was aware that it would be a big step for him to go from P2 to P1 in the 2024 season and challenge Max Verstappen. Perez said:

"Yeah, it's a big step. I think Max is in top form and it's going to be really hard to beat him but we definitely have to improve more than last year so hopefully that will be the case."

Sergio Perez also mentioned that he hadn't set milestones for the early part of the season. He added (via Crash.net):

“No, the start of the season will be really busy. So it’s just focusing on the first races. I don’t think that I’m setting timelines for now. I am just focusing on the first five races, to get the most out of them. It would take energy out of me. I don’t want distractions."

Sergio Perez chimes on his uncertain future with Red Bull

Sergio Perez will be heading into the final year of his Red Bull contract and has a lot of uncertainty about his future with the team.

The 34-year-old stated that he wasn't too focused on his future but ideally would like to get it sorted in the early part of the season. He said:

“Most drivers will be willing to get things done a lot earlier in the year. From my side, I am just focusing on having a great year. The rest takes care of itself. As long as you are performing on track, the rest always comes in place. I am not bothered about it. For me, my main target is on track.”

He added:

“To be honest, when you’ve been so long in this business, you know how it operates. I’m a lot less bothered by it. I make sure that I’m able to enjoy it, to have fun, and the rest takes care of itself.”

Sergio Perez needs to have a solid start to the 2024 campaign if he wants to sign a new deal with Red Bull for the future as several candidates for his seat will be paying close attention to the situation.