Sergio Perez’s Red Bull career seemed to be in danger a few weeks ago, owing to his consistent string of poor performances. But now his teammate, Max Verstappen has started struggling to get favorable results too, something Perez pointed out after the Italian GP. The 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, also spoke in support of the Mexican driver’s struggles.
Perez revealed that he had been facing problems with the RB20 for a long time. “Max, all of a sudden has come to similar issues,” he added, “So, a little bit of confusion there…”
Hill, an outspoken F1 pundit on social media, offered Perez support on X (formerly Twitter), “The same thought crossed my mind.”
The same thought crossed my mind #f1 https://t.co/I2xlYpbKxD
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) September 2, 2024
Perez’s comments came after Red Bull’s disastrous Italian GP weekend, where Verstappen could only manage a P6 finish. The Dutchman was outraged, admitting that winning both championships with the RB20 would be very difficult. Meanwhile, Perez, more accustomed to lower points finishes this season, shared his thoughts on the situation.
When Perez struggled, there was widespread speculation about Red Bull potentially sacking him. However, Verstappen encountering difficulties signaled a crisis for the team.
Previously, Hill had stated that Perez was not underperforming deliberately and that Red Bull needed to identify the root cause. The Guadalajara-born driver’s comments on Verstappen’s shortcomings, however, might serve as a saving grace for his own Red Bull future.
Was Perez’s retention justified?
Perez finished P8 in Monza, earning just four points. When combined with Verstappen’s eight, it resulted in a dismal haul for Red Bull. Although the two drivers were close to each other, it was at the wrong part of the grid. However, this performance might have been what Perez needed to show that his slump wasn’t entirely his fault.
Many pundits and experts called for Perez to be sacked mid-season due to his poor performances, claiming that the 34-year-old’s form could cost Red Bull the Constructors’ championship.
Now, it seems even Verstappen cannot do much to keep the team afloat either. The Dutchman, who had grown accustomed to dominating races, finished outside the podium places three times in the last four Grand Prix.
Red Bull knew the RB20 was underperforming heading into the summer break, which is likely why they held on to Perez. If the car’s struggles were affecting Perez as well, replacing him with another driver with 10 races remaining would have been unfair.
