After a disappointing qualifying, Perez was unable to factor in the fight for the podium at the Spanish Grand Prix as he recovered to fifth place, while teammate Max Verstappen battled Lew💎is Hamilton’s Mercedes for the win. 

Verstappen was able to lead much of the race after muscling his way past Hamilton into Turn 1 but was left vulnerable to a two-pronged attack from Mercedes with Bottas ru🦩nning close behind Hamilton in third. 

That enabled M𒐪ercedes to pull off a bold strat♓egic gamble that ultimately proved decisive in Hamilton’s charge to victory and left Verstappen having to settle for second place. 

Horner admitted after the Barcelona race that Red Bull is relying on Perez to apply more pressure to Mercedes so it can avoid losing out strategically to the rei♈gning world champions🔯. 

“I think it's coming together for him,” Horner said on Sunday.&nb🏅sp;

“He had 🀅an off day [on Saturday] and he was compromised in the ra❀ce behind Daniel [Ricciardo].

“Obv𒐪iously then he didn't manag🔯e to make headway at a track that’s so difficult to pass [at]. 

“Of course we desperately need him to be in that gap, so that Mercedes don't have the strategic options t𒉰hat they had today. 

“But I'm convinced that that will come for Checo as he finds more confidence, and timꦗe in the car.”

Perez conceded thaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚt he is still struggling to get up to speed in the RB16B and is left ending every weekend wishing it had only just started due to limit🦩ed track time. 

“It’s important to keep making those steps and put the whole weekend together,” the 🍃Mexican explained. “It jus🐻t takes me a bit too long to get up to speed when we go to a new circuit.

“You see th🍰at things are coming, but not together. But I think once we are able to put them together we have the pace to be able to go pretty quick.”

“I’m getting more confident ꦓwith the car. Every time I get to the end of the weekend, I wish the weekend just start now because with how limited track time is it is veꦇry hard to get up to speed.”