Lewis Hamilton recently called out Red Bull publicly for not providing the best support to Sergio Perez. Although the Briton did not name anyone, he believes that one individual from the team has often provided the Mexican a cold shoulder. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has now responded to Hamilton’s claims by reminding the Mercedes driver of some remarks the 38-year-old made earlier in the season.
“It’s very nice that Lewis has so much care and attention [for Checo] when he was questioning the validity of Max [Verstappen’s] team-mates only a few weeks ago,” explained Horner (as quoted by express.co.uk). The British team principal then added that there are always rumors floating around in the paddock when “there’s little to write about“.
💥 Hamilton habla sobre Checo y el apoyo de Red Bull:
“Ha habido un portavoz en particular que no se ha portado muy bien a la hora de ayudar psicológicamente (a Checo)”
[@FOXSportsMX]#F1 #MexicoGPpic.twitter.com/sS6pNXclWb
— ElReyGuiri (@ElReyGuiri) October 27, 2023
After stating the same, the 49-year-old once again made it clear that Perez has an outstanding relationship with the team and with teammate Verstappen. Horner then concluded how Red Bull are doing everything they can to help Perez seal second place in the championship.
Christian Horner once again reveals Sergio Perez’s seat is not in danger
Despite all the rumors suggesting that Sergio Perez can lose his Red Bull seat if he fails to secure second in the championship, Christian Horner has refuted all such speculations. When asked about the same, the 49-year-old replied (as quoted by racefans.net), “There’s no pre-mandate like that“.
Even though Horner has once again provided Perez with reassurances that he has Red Bull’s support, things could change if someone like Daniel Ricciardo impresses the team even more. The Australian returned to the F1 grid with AlphaTauri earlier this year and is one of the favorites to grab that second Red Bull seat sometime in the future.
However, if Perez manages to hang on to second in the championship, he could receive another lifeline. The Mexican was aided even further last weekend at the United States Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the race due to a technical infringement.
As a result of the same, Perez extended his lead over third-placed Hamilton to 39 points, with four races remaining in the 2023 season. Moreover, with Perez all set to compete in his home race in Mexico this weekend, he could have an added incentive to increase his lead even further in second place.