GP Racing Podcast: Our exclusive Sergio Perez interview for the June issue

An exclusive interview with Perez is the centrepiece of this month’s GP Racing magazine. In the latest edition of the Flat Chat podcast, GP Racing editor Ben Anderson and columnist Mark Gallagher join host Stuart Codling to discuss the scale of Perez’s achievement. Before winning last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he admitted that there was no point in expecting Red Bull to adapt its ‘difficult’ car to suit him; he would have to adapt himself to it.

“First get on the pace, then you talk,” he said.

It’s been a fascinating journey for Perez, who has had to unlearn the key disciplines and techniques he developed while driving for Force India and Racing Point. The question is to what extent his Baku victory represents a true turnaround in form, or whether it’s an outlier result of a disrupted race.

The panel also consider the legacy of former FIA president Max Mosley, who died last month. A polarising figure through and through, Mosley was nevertheless a fascinating character and our panel have some unique insights: ‘Codders’ went snowboarding with him for a magazine feature in 2003 while Gallagher held a senior role at engine supplier Cosworth while Mosley was driving through his budget cap and homologated powertrain plans in 2009.

While Mosley’s project to level the F1 playing field ultimately failed, the current stakeholders are heading in that direction with a degree of harmony unheard of in the Mosley era.

And in case you’ve missed it, even Mercedes is counting the pennies these days owing to the effects of the budget cap. The latest issue of GP Racing reveals how the teams’ bean counters now have to operate to the very limit of the regulations – just like the technical directors do.

But while slashing costs has helped make this season one of the most closely competitive in recent years, what of the huge changes coming in 2022? Will it be the case that the wealthiest teams will prosper once again?