Red Bull Racing have released a behind-the-scenes look of Sergio Perez‘s first couple of days at the team’s headquarters in January.
The Mexican driver, who joined Christian Horner’s outfit in December, was followed around the factory by Red Bull cameras as he met up with his new team and had his seat fitting.
His day on Monday, 11 January, started with many introductions, not unexpected when a new driver visits a factory for the first time, and it showed a lot about his humble character when he introduced himself as Sergio to each new person he met – not assuming they already knew who he was.
He met up with the likes of Horner and chief technical officer Adrian Newey before taking a trip to the simulator, though the cameras had the door shut in their face at that point.
His first day was mainly a look around the facilities, as he was shown around the racing arena, introduced to the “impressive” Red Bull Valkyrie, and he also found time for a quick ride around on a scooter in the offices for no apparent reason other than it is lots of fun.
It was the following day when Perez got his first sitting in the Red Bull challenger, though things were not quite right the first time, but chief engineer Paul Monaghan stressed this was not uncommon and that it is not just about a seat fitting, it is “installing the driver in the car”.
Changes were made there and then, with the team pouring foam into a bag behind the back of Perez, which helps to form the shape of the driver, enabling the engineers to tailor the car to the individual.
Once those formalities were done, it was time for Perez to go and do some media duties in his first sit-down interview with Red Bull Racing.
Just a month prior to his visit to the factory, it looked as though Perez would be without a 2021 drive after he was dropped by Racing Point, so it is maybe no surprise that he smiled after he looked down the camera’s lens and said: “Hi, I’m Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Driver.”
He told the interviewer: “I’m so happy to be here. I had to pinch myself a couple of times because it’s just a dream to be part of the brand and to be part of this amazing team.”
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