Sergio Perez Hopes Red Bull Will Dominate Again In Japan After Defeat In Singapore

JAKARTA - Mexican racer Sergio Perez hopes Red Bull will return to their dominant performance at the Japanese GP this weekend. Especially after their first defeat this season in Singapore last week.

The Formula One constructors have won 15 races in a row until then, but they returned to the figure-eighted Suzuka circuit with great hopes of winning the constructor's title with six series remaining.

"Piston is so different that there should be no reason why we are not strong at Suzuka," Perez told reporters at Honda's circuit on Thursday, September 21. "Actually, this should be one of the best circuits for us."

Perez, who is in second place but trailed 151 points behind his team-mate who is also a two-time world champion, Max Verstappen, said Red Bull still don't know exactly why they are so struggling in Singapore.

Verstappen, who won 10 consecutive races until then, instead finished fifth after starting from 11th at Marina Bay, while Perez finished eighth.

"We certainly had some good ideas about how we prepared the weekend and the misinformation we had and where things went wrong," the Mexican said.

"This is something we will maintain internally, but there are some good indications that we may be near the weekend with the wrong settings," Perez said.

Perez said his car felt good in the simulation of the suzuka track, while Singapore felt bad before last weekend.

"Hopefully everything goes well and this can be a good circuit for us," he added.

Red Bull have denied any impact on their recent FIA directives overcoming flexible bodywork, and Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said Red Bull was difficult to beat again.

"I think if they don't lead 30 seconds like they did in the past, then something goes wrong," said the Briton, who finished third in Singapore.

"Their car should be amazing here. They're amazing all year long, they control almost every circuit," added the Mercedes driver.

"It would be great to watch the car in general. Usually you come here and it's fun to watch the rounds they do because the team as a whole and the riders do amazing work with the packages they have," Hamilton said.