Sergio Perez claims he had different package to Max Verstappen after ‘poor’ US GP

Sergio Perez has claimed he ran a different package to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen during the F1 United States Grand Prix weekend.

The Mexican, who is under pressure to retain his Red Bull seat for next season despite holding a valid contract, endured another weekend to forget at COTA.

Perez could only qualify 11th for the sprint race and finished ninth while Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory. For the main grand prix, Perez qualified 10th and could only gain three places to take seventh, while Verstappen claimed the final spot on the podium.

After Sunday’s race, Perez revealed he did not have the new upgrade package which teammate and championship leader Verstappen was running on his RB20.

“We don’t have quite the same package, but I don’t know exactly how much was that. It was just quite far away,” Perez told Sky Sports F1.

“It was a weekend where we did struggle. Nothing really came together during the weekend. We did progress with the set-up but still the pace was quite poor.

“So we have to analyse quite a bit the set-up.”

Asked if the floor edge and engine cover updates were missing on his car, Perez replied: “Yeah correct.”

Perez admitted he does not know whether he will get the parts for his home race at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

“We don’t know yet,” he said. “We are quite tight on parts and as we are still learning on this new spec of floor, we might have to wait a little bit longer until I can get it.

“I’m just doing the best I can and that’s what really matters.”

Perez has now fallen 204 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, while his lack of big scores continue to hurt Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.