Perez Under Pressure: Red Bull’s Dilemma on Driver’s Future Amidst Ongoing Struggles

Sergio Perez's difficulties are causing pain – but what is Red Bull's patience level with him?

Lewis Larkam of Crash.net was present at Spa to observe the challenges faced by Sergio Perez.

Following his most impressive qualifying showing since the Chinese Grand Prix in April, Sergio Perez found himself in an ideal position to alleviate some of the tension as F1 approached its mid-season break.

Lining up next to Charles Leclerc, who secured pole position at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, and with his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen starting from 11th place because of a penalty for using too many power units, it appeared to be an excellent opportunity for Perez to make a significant statement to Red Bull during a crucial time in his racing season.

However, Perez quickly fell behind Lewis Hamilton during the initial lap and found it difficult to maintain speed, resulting in a drop to an eighth-place finish, with his teammate finishing three places ahead. Russell's disqualification moved Perez up to seventh, yet Red Bull's team leader, Christian Horner, indicated that a more favorable outcome was anticipated.

"Horner responded to Crash.net's inquiry regarding Red Bull's sentiments about Perez's performance in Belgium by stating that given his initial placement, they hadn't anticipated an eighth-place finish."

In his efforts to support Perez, Horner carefully selected his language, sharing that it was painful to witness his continued challenges. On the other hand, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, was straightforward in his assessment of the Mexican racer's performance, stating that he "utterly failed."

Today, Red Bull plans to conduct a meeting where Perez's continuation with the team will be discussed. Horner sought to minimize its importance, emphasizing that “it’s not solely focused on Checo”.

When queried by Crash.net about the duration Red Bull plans to allow Perez to improve his performance, Horner skillfully avoided giving a direct answer, stating, "He's fully conscious of the necessity for both vehicles to perform well, as they did at the start of the season. That's the standard we aim to return to."

Red Bull has experienced a winless streak over the last four competitions. The recent upturn in McLaren's performance has significantly reduced Red Bull's previously substantial lead in the constructors' championship to just 42 points as the summer break approaches, with Mercedes securing victories in three of the last four events.

Red Bull is experiencing intense competition from their adversaries, losing the advantage of having the fastest car on the track. Consequently, the current world champions might soon face a tough choice, one that Horner emphasizes “nobody wishes to face.”

Speculation around a potential driver change at Red Bull mid-season has grown increasingly stronger.

A clause related to performance metrics in Perez’s agreement, which was finalized just a month ago, reportedly allows Red Bull the authority to substitute Perez should he trail Verstappen by over 100 points in the championship standings following the Spa event.

Over the past eight races, Perez has only accumulated 28 points, dropping him to seventh place in the drivers' standings, a whole 146 points away from Verstappen. This decline has exposed him to the risk associated with a specific clause.

This shift could indeed happen, as Red Bull has precedent in this area. In 2016, Verstappen took Daniil Kvyat's place following only four races, and in the summer of 2019, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly exchanged positions.

Should Red Bull decide to switch things up, the prime candidates to fill Perez's position could be Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda, both of whom race for Red Bull's affiliate team RB, or their backup driver, Liam Lawson.

The initiation of an F1 trial at Imola featuring Ricciardo and Lawson has intensified rumors about Perez's career prospects.

This week, the duo is set to take control of a 2024 RB vehicle, however, Horner swiftly dismissed any idea that the trial is a 'competition' to decide Perez's successor.

"Today is dedicated to shooting, thus recording will be underway. The focus is entirely on generating content," Horner detailed. "This takes place in the present vehicle since it allows for travel up to 200 km. Therefore, both will be engaged in extensive shooting activities."

Ricciardo has bounced back from a disappointing beginning to the season, aiming to improve his odds of making a dream comeback to the Red Bull main team, and received a point in Belgium following Russell's disqualification.

Horner believed Ricciardo had performed "quite well" in the latest races. "I haven't reviewed the race myself, I just noticed he finished 11th [moved up to 10th following Russell's disqualification], and considering he began on the Soft tyre, he's clearly racing well," he further commented.

Horner keeps emphasizing that assisting Perez is Red Bull's main focus, yet it's unclear how much longer the team will maintain their patience as they face significant challenges from competitors.

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