The Belgian Grand Prix was arguably the last chance for Sergio Perez to save his future at Red Bull. However, he failed to impress his team despite starting from second on the grid on Sunday. While there’s still a meeting Red Bull will have which will also discuss his future, team boss Christian Horner has praised his possible replacement, Daniel Ricciardo.
With a 10-place grid penalty for Max Verstappen, Perez needed to hold on to his position at the front of the grid as the Dutchman caught up with the pack. However, Hamilton overtook the Mexican into La Source on the first lap, and from there on he continued falling behind through the sequence of pitstops.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, finished 10th [after George Russell’s disqualification], three positions behind Perez after having started the race from 13th on soft tires. Horner thinks that it was a commendable performance from the Honey Badger.
“I think he’s [Daniel Ricciardo] done alright,” said Horner as per a post on X. “I haven’t looked at the race but only saw the end result that he was 11th. And starting on the soft tire, he’s obviously driven a good race”.
‘@danielricciardo gets a timely thumbs-up from Christian Horner: “I think he’s done alright. I haven’t looked at the race, but only saw the end result that he was 11th. And starting on the soft tyre, he’s obviously driven a good race.”
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) July 29, 2024
Red Bull certainly didn’t expect Perez to finish eighth [before Russell’s disqualification] after starting from the front row. The team’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko didn’t mince his words about Perez’s performance. Marko had already said that they would decide on the Mexican’s future during the summer break. ”
We have several drivers, and we need to have a concept. But of course, for Sergio, every result is crucial, and finishing eighth from a start position of second, is certainly not what we expected,” Marko said after the race.
However, Perez was adamant about the fact that he would continue with Red Bull, denying all speculations.
Perez says both he and the team remain committed to the future
Perez signed a 1+1 year extension with Red Bull ahead of the Canadian GP, indicating the team’s trust in his skills. However, when his results started to fall apart, there were rumors that he reportedly had a performance clause in his new contract.
If at any point he falls more than 100 points behind Verstappen, Red Bull may terminate his deal. Perez currently sits 146 points behind and it seems like his days at Red Bull are numbered. However, the Mexican refused to comment on his future and remains firm that both parties want to continue the partnership.
| Helmut Marko on Sergio Perez:
“That’s not what we expected from him.”
“He completely collapsed, especially in the last stint.”#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/QEqH1ttDRt
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 28, 2024
After the race, Perez said on F1TV, “I don’t think I’ll be responding anymore to any future speculations. I’m here with the team fully committed… I think I’ve had enough of these speculations”.
Still, with Red Bull discussing his situation, the #11 driver is on uncertain grounds heading into the summer break. Time will tell if Red Bull decide to prioritize their constructors’ championship defense, then Perez may get replaced mid-season.
