Red Bull Boss Downplays Liam Lawson’s Test as Sergio Perez Faces Intensifying Pressure

Liam Lawson's opportunity with Red Bull is being downplayed while Sergio Perez faces increasing pressure. Christian Horner discusses Lawson's forthcoming F1 test with Red Bull amidst the scrutiny on Perez.

Red Bull's Formula 1 team principal, Christian Horner, has downplayed the importance of Liam Lawson's forthcoming test session with the team, despite ongoing rumors about the future of driver Sergio Perez.

During the British Grand Prix weekend, there were reports indicating that Perez might lose his position if he doesn't show a notable improvement in his performance.

The Mexican driver has only managed to earn 15 points across the previous six races. This concerning decline in performance might result in him falling to eighth place in the drivers' standings, especially with Mercedes making a strong comeback.

By chance, Red Bull's junior driver Lawson is set to take the RB20 for a spin at Silverstone during a promotional event.

In a Sunday post-race interview at Silverstone, where Crash.net reporters were on the scene, Horner revealed to the press that Lawson's test had been scheduled a few months in advance.

"The issue is that if you overanalyze these situations, you might miss the point. In fact, I'm also going to be driving a lap at Silverstone in the RB8 this Thursday," Horner mentioned. "So, anything can happen!"

"Honestly, the aero run, known as the Liam test, has been in the works for a few months."

Perez suffered through yet another disappointing race at the British Grand Prix, getting lapped two times.

He was eliminated in the first qualifying session following a spin at Copse, and an early transition to intermediate tires did not yield the desired results.

“Certainly, Checo is feeling the pressure,” Horner remarked. “This is typical in Formula 1. And if you’re not meeting expectations, that pressure just increases. He understands this, he’s conscious of it."

"This weekend has been tough for him, with things not going as planned. We decided to take a risk during the race by starting him on hard tires. Initially, he was making good headway, but when the rain began, he was in 15th or 16th position. At that juncture, you have to take chances, much like they did with Leclerc."

"He switched to intermediate tires. If the rain had intensified, he would have been seen as a hero. Unfortunately, it didn’t, so he wasn’t. As a result, he had to make an additional pit stop, and lost significant time because the drying track was unsuitable for intermediate tires. So, there’s a lot to analyze from this weekend."

Perez's inconsistent performance is jeopardizing Red Bull's prospects of securing the constructors' championship this season.

Although Red Bull currently leads by 71 points, McLaren is expected to be their closest competitor in the latter part of the year, largely due to the differing outcomes experienced by Ferrari.

Horner admitted that Perez's performance cannot continue as it is.

"He understands that it’s not viable to continue without earning points,” he mentioned. “It’s crucial for us to accumulate points with that vehicle, and he is aware of this."

"He understands his responsibilities and objectives. No one is more determined than Checo to return and regain his performance level."

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