Sergio Perez claims he is still capable of catching up to team-mate Max Verstappen and has the chance to win the Formula 1 world title.
The Mexican was considered a bona-fide title contender after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. Following that result, he was just 15 points behind fellow Red Bull racer Verstappen and ahead of Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Four races later, though, and the outlook is much different. Perez is 57 points behind Verstappen after failing to finish in Canada and Austria – the first a result of a gearbox issue and the latter due to damage sustained through contact with George Russell.
While previewing this weekend's French Grand Prix, Perez made the claim that he still considers himself to be a title contender. "After a tough weekend in Austria, it's great to be back racing and have a chance to put things right," he said.
"We have had two DNFs in the past three races and we can't afford that in the championship so I'm aiming to change that this weekend in France. I'm still in contention for the drivers' championship, so personally it is also important not to lose any more points.
"Last year I scored my second podium with the team in France, and I am very looking forward to trying to repeat that. Paul Ricard is a challenging track because there are different racing lines you can take through the corners and it's not easy to know which is the best one to use.
"The high temperatures will also be a factor to consider this weekend, physically it looks like it will be a very demanding race and we will have to see how it goes with the tyre degradation because of the heat."
Perez's chances of closing the gap to Verstappen have suffered a further blow after he admitted he "hasn't been as comfortable" with his car due to upgrades added throughout the season so far. That comment forced Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan to rubbish claims that the team is already working to benefit Verstappen.
"It would be foolish of us to not try and give Checo a method to get more out of [the RB18]," he said. "We're in the race with both titles. And we need both cars ideally ahead of the Ferraris and the Mercedes, so we will do everything we can to put the two of them there."
