F1
Pressure Mounts on Sergio Perez as Red Bull’s Faith Wavers: Could Ricciardo or Lawson Step In?
"Doubts Cast on Red Bull's Confidence in Sergio Perez"
The choice by Red Bull to continue supporting Sergio Perez has come under scrutiny.
There are indications that Sergio Perez's position with Red Bull might not be fully secure for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season.
Sky Sports News journalist Craig Slater believes that Red Bull's choice to stick with Perez might not be as straightforward as it seems. This comes amidst increasing pressure and rumors suggesting that the Mexican driver could be swapped out during the summer break for either Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson.
After a crucial meeting on Monday that included important individuals such as Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko, it is understood that Horner spoke to the staff at the Milton Keynes factory, confirming that Perez will remain as Max Verstappen's teammate.
"I don't believe it's guaranteed that he will finish the season. However, I think Christian Horner wants him to," Slater stated on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
"I'm a huge supporter of Checo and believe he's fantastic. I hope he ends the season on a high note. However, if his performance doesn't improve in the upcoming races after the break, I think there might be renewed discussions about his position, especially if the championship is still undecided."
Slater commented, "In the past, this would have been a decision made by Helmut Marko, but this time it was Christian Horner who made the call, which could be important."
Marko is often seen as "the tinkerman" because he tends to reassign people quite aggressively. On the other hand, Horner believes that such frequent changes cause too much disruption to be truly beneficial.
"Ricciardo hasn't been making a strong case for himself. For some reason, they are not keen on advancing Tsunoda, and Lawson remains somewhat unproven. Therefore, the situation is quite complex."
"It's important to keep in mind that many skilled drivers have faced significant challenges when competing against Verstappen. Therefore, in this regard, Checo isn't particularly outstanding."
"He has accumulated roughly 35 percent of the points that Max has. It is accurate to state that if this trend continues with their current scoring rate, they will not secure the Constructors' Championship."
Key leaders at Red Bull have been telling Horner, "Look at this, the facts are clear, but the final decision is yours…" and for now, he is choosing to keep Checo in place.
Former Formula 1 team strategist Bernie Collins, who had a close working relationship with Perez during his time at Force India/Racing Point, expressed his astonishment, saying, "If this was the conclusion they intended to reach, I'm amazed it didn't occur sooner."
"He clearly had a highly impressive qualifying performance at Spa. However, it was a narrow escape as he almost got eliminated at the end of Q2. It was a tight situation that could have resulted in either a P15 or the P2 he ultimately secured. Therefore, it wasn't entirely Checo's doing."
"In several respects, they need to evaluate their championship and ask themselves: 'Who could we place in that position who is certain to perform better in the last 10 races?'"
"In light of recent events, just a few races back, there was speculation about whether Ricciardo's position in the [RB] seat was secure. We've since experienced a full cycle of discussions on this matter."
"They can't confidently claim that the current junior team members will outperform the others. This uncertainty seems to have been a crucial factor in their decision."
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