2023 has been a torrid year for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Matching Max Verstappen was never going to be easy for the Mexican driver, but the fact that he would have less than half the Dutchman’s points with just two races to go seemed unfathomable at the start of the season. However, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, Christian Horner knows the exact moment Perez’s Red Bull career nosedived.
Things were going incredibly well for Perez until the 2023 Miami GP. He came into the race with high expectations, and wanted to pose a threat to Verstappen. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the weekend when everything started going downhill.
According to team principal Horner (as quoted by Race Fans), “I think there was a decisive moment this year, which was probably in Miami, where Checo had if you like an open goal.
VERSTAPPEN WIIIIINS!
He makes it two out of two in Miami, from ninth on the grid!#MiamiGP #F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/9mWj2uqKE3
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 7, 2023
“I think that Max winning that race, having been caught out by a red flag in qualifying, starting down in ninth, and that he took the lead within a very short period of time, I think mentally that was quite a brutal one for Checo to deal with,” he added.
Since then, Perez has been struggling to revive his Red Bull career, but things don’t seem to be going his way at all.
Sergio Perez fighting for future at Red Bull and F1
With just two races to go this season, Perez’s aim is to hold on to P2 in the constructors’ championship. However, his gap to Verstappen is too big for Red Bull to ignore. There are plenty of young stars and experienced veterans on the sidelines, waiting for a opportunity at a big team like Red Bull.
For Perez, a Red Bull exit due to poor performance could lead to major consequences. There aren’t a lot of spots open in F1 at the moment. Hence, if Red Bull lets go of the Guadalajara-born driver, it could bring his F1 career to an end – at least for the time being.
Nevertheless, the signs point towards Perez getting another shot at reviving his Red Bull career. Christian Horner insisted that Perez will remain at Milton-Keynes, as he has a contract until 2024.
