Sergio Perez says his first experience of driving a Red Bull car offered him some insight into the reasons why his predecessors struggled to adapt to the machine’s design.

Perez enjoyed his maiden outing with his new team this week at Silverstone, extensively sampling Red Bull’s RB15 and undertaking a shakedown along with teammate Max Verstappen of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s new RB16B.

Verstappen’s previous two teammates, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, struggled to match the Dutchman’s blindingly fast pace but also failed to perform consistently at the wheel of Red Bull’s high-rake designs that have often been described as “twitchy” or “nervous”.

After spending a day onboard Red Bull’s RB15, and considering the knowledge he has gained so far in the team’s simulator, Perez admitted the car was a very different beast compared to most of the machines he has experienced in the past.

“It is quite different, I can already spot the differences,” said the Mexican.

“[You can feel] the strong front end that the car has and so on, those are things that as soon as you jump into the car and the simulator. You can spot them out fairly quickly.

“I think it’s obviously a car [that] I can see why not every driver can adapt to it.

“I can already spot that. In terms of the timing that I need, to know exactly where to set up the car, where to take the final tenths out of it.

“That comes with experience in the car and learning how to make the most out of it. That’s something that will come just once I fully understand. I hope it doesn’t take me too long.”

Read also: Experience a ‘big’ benefit in battle against Verstappen – Perez

Perez only enjoyed a brief stint onboard his new mount, the RB16B which Red Bull kept out of the public eye at Silverstone. But the Mexican came away from the short test with a good impression.

“It’s a filming day, so it’s all about trying to get myself comfortable in the car,” he said. “I can kind of already see that there is potential in it, and I can spot some of the differences.

“It’s on test tyres and so on, so I don’t want to draw any conclusions. But I can just see there is some good potential in the car.”

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Spanish fashion label Desigual is celebrating its 10th anniversary collaborating with French designer Christian Lacroix with a new collection.

The collaboration between the two began after the acclaimed French designer saw a Desigual coat on the streets of Paris, he initially believed the design came from someone who was part of his own design team. A few months later, he joined the brand as a designer, and now, in 2021, the two are celebrating a decade of collaboration.

For spring/summer 2021, the Spanish brand is launching a celebratory collection dubbed ‘Desigual x Monsieur Christian Lacroix Forever: 10 Years Together’.

The collection takes inspiration from the Mediterranean and the Far East, which are fused in a variety of illustrations, feminine patterns and prints based on nature featuring birds and flowers with a romantic touch. Featuring violet, purple and lavender tones, the collection draws from the colours inspired by Lacroix’s home in Arles.

Desigual adds that this is a collection featuring dresses and jumpsuits is “undoubtedly an ode to Provence” where the tulle comes to the forefront due to its delicateness.

Thomas Meyer, Desigual founder, said in a statement: “We had a great respect for one another from the very beginning, and this has blossomed into a professional collaboration and a friendship. Ten years… twenty seasons. He comes to us once a month, more or less, or sometimes we go to him. And this doesn’t seem like it’s going to end anytime soon. At least for Desigual, Lacroix’s fashion will always endure.”

Images: courtesy of Desigual