Jenson Button Sounds Alarm on Sergio Perez’s Future at Red Bull Amidst Ongoing Performance Slump

Jenson Button cautions Red Bull about Sergio Perez: "This situation cannot persist indefinitely"

"If he fails to earn points in the upcoming race again?"

2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button is of the opinion that Red Bull will be compelled to find a replacement for Sergio Perez should his slump in performance persist.

Perez has only managed to earn points in two of the past five races, marking a remarkable decline in performance.

The Mexican racer faced another challenging time at Silverstone, failing to advance beyond Q1 and ultimately finishing the race significantly below the top 10 positions – he ended up being lapsed twice during the event.

Perez's dip in performance is putting Red Bull's lead in the constructors' championship at risk.

As McLaren becomes a consistent victor in races and boasts a pair of drivers adept at earning significant points, Red Bull's advantage might be at risk as the year progresses into its latter half.

During the British Grand Prix weekend, while appearing on Sky Sports’ Formula 1 broadcast, Button characterized Perez's showings as a “significant problem”.

"Huge. It's a significant problem," he commented. "This past weekend was dreadful. In certain respects, it was unfortunate. We won't see this happening every weekend."

"McLaren scoring so many points against them? That's significant. Moreover, Mercedes didn't have both cars cross the finish line, but had their reliability been up to par, it would have again resulted in a substantial deduction from Red Bull's tally."

"They're at a disadvantage currently, ranking as the team with the third most points scored in the recent five to six races. It's essential for him to earn some points, at the very least, even if he can't manage to place ahead of Max."

Button, who partnered with Perez at McLaren back in 2013, thinks that Red Bull might have to consider finding a replacement for Perez if his streak of no points persists for another two races leading up to the summer break.

"He emphasized that the situation cannot continue indefinitely. If he fails to earn any points in the upcoming race, it won't be long before they have to replace him with another driver," he continued.

"It's challenging. I understand it's an unpleasant sensation for a driver, it's terrible. However, for them, the constructors' championship holds significance."

Red Bull awarded Perez a fresh contract extension for two years just before the Canadian Grand Prix, a decision that caught many off-guard considering his difficulties in the last two races.

Nonetheless, it has been revealed through recent reports that Perez's contract contains several performance-related conditions, granting Red Bull the option to initiate changes if desired.

Ex-W Series competitor Naomi Schiff is baffled that Perez didn't gain a surge of confidence from his recent contract extension, ensuring his place on the team until 2026.

"She elaborated that the increased competitiveness is due to Red Bull not being as overpowering as before. Max is pushing the car beyond its inherent capabilities, while Checo has not managed to do likewise."

"Similar events unfolded last year. What puzzles me is why renewing his contract wouldn't bolster his confidence. Last year, it seemed like he was pushing too hard to make a statement. Now, that doesn't seem to be the case."

"Certainly, there will be conditions related to performance included. The choice to retain him was made, which ought to have boosted his confidence, rather than having the negative impact it has had."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Navigation

CrashNet

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing text, photos, or illustrations in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.