Perez says goodbye to RB19: 'Great to end like this'
F1 News
- Ludo van Denderen
Max Verstappen had already left Abu Dhabi, for Sergio Perez it was hard work two days after the United Arab Emirates Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing Mexican took part in Pirelli's tyre test on Tuesday, while his temporary teammate Jake Dennis was part of the Young Drivers Test.
The pair completed a total of 241 laps in Abu Dhabi with the RB19, which was operating on a circuit for the last time. " It was a very positive day, there was still a lot to learn," stated Perez, although his car is thus retiring. "It was important to still take the time for this, I drove more than twice the race distance today and I am satisfied with the work we did."
"Especially coming here straight from a race, everything is still super fresh and the track was very presentable, especially in the afternoon, so it was a productive test. We gathered good information for next season and it's a great way to end such a dominant year."
Lambiase tells what Red Bull tested
Gianpiero Lambiase, Head of Race Engineering, at Red Bull and also the race engineer for the absent Verstappen, was satisfied with the test: "We were able to do everything we wanted to do today. For Perez, it was about working on some things he had some questions about during the season. We were able to do that and collect the necessary data."
"With Jake, it was about getting him even more familiar with the car. We looked at some different mechanical and aerodynamic test items, which he can then look at further in the simulator, which in turn is crucial for us in our developments for 2024," Lambiase said.