Red Bull’s RB20 has not been the benchmark in terms of outright performance for quite some time now in 2024. However, team principal Christian Horner recently said that a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes at Milton Keynes, and the team is set to bring some upgrades in Austin. So, Horner has urged his drivers to be at their best in their last push to retake the lead in the constructors’ championship.
McLaren had been hunting down Red Bull for the championship lead and finally managed to do so in Baku after Sergio Perez crashed out on the penultimate lap of the race. With six races to go in the season, McLaren comfortably leads Red Bull by 41 points.
About how things have gone lately for the Austrian team, Horner said as quoted by As.com, “We need both drivers to be at their best, Checo had a great weekend in Baku (which ended with Sainz and the wall) and a tougher one in Singapore.”
“We are still fighting for the two titles, we took a hit in the constructors’ championship, but there are still many races left and circuits coming up where we have done well in the past.”, he added.
In the constructors’ championship, McLaren is beginning to pull away – Horner says: “We need both drivers to be at their best, Checo had a great weekend in Baku (which ended with Sainz and the wall) and a tougher one in Singapore.”
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While Horner has asked both his drivers to be at their best, it’s no secret that he was actually hinting at Perez because Max Verstappen is already doing everything he can to maximize the points for the team. Despite the RB20’s issues worsening, the Dutchman won two races in Spain and Canada.
On the other hand, Perez hasn’t even scored a single podium since the Chinese GP. With Horner referencing the Mexican’s poor performance in Singapore, it is clear that Perez is treading on thin ice with his future at Red Bull.
Perez to fight for his seat in 2025
After the Belgian Grand Prix, it was rumored that the Milton Keynes squad could decide to replace Perez coming out of the summer break. However, Daniel Ricciardo — who was lined up to replace the Mexican — had not done enough to warrant his place in the senior Red Bull team. RB eventually dropped the Aussie in favor of Liam Lawson after the Singapore GP.
Red Bull will now supposedly monitor Lawson’s performance for the remainder of the season and he could end up getting the call from the senior team to replace Perez in 2025 if he can deliver on the team’s expectations.
Perez, who already has a contract for the next two seasons, needs to be at his best as Horner said if he is to save his seat alongside Verstappen.
