Red Bull Mastermind Helmut Marko has snubbed all claims of Daniel Ricciardo replacing Sergio Perez at the team amidst poor showing. This came after Perez failed to put up yet another gripping qualification performance as he went out in Q1 at the British Grand Prix.
Perez’s poor form of late has been a headache for the Austrian team. Even though the team doesn’t want the former Racing Point driver to match with Max Verstappen, they are eager to solidify the P2 position in the driver’s championship.
This is where the Mexican driver fails to keep the momentum as Fernando Alonso is closing in at a rapid pace. From having equal statistics with Verstappen in 2023 at some point, the 33-year-old is now 81 points behind his teammate after nine rounds.
With Perez having another Q1 exit in a mighty RB-19, there were reports on Ricciardo wanting to have the Red Bull chance. However, Marko, with an immediate response after the British GP qualification, snubbed it all.
Nobody can replace Perez at Red Bull
Even though the Mexican has been struggling with his form, according to Marko, he is irreplaceable at the Milton-Keynes-based team. The 80-year-old also believes that Perez covers up his bad qualification with his race performance, which he can’t see on Nyck de Vries.
Speaking about this to Sky Germany as per Fastest PitStop, Marko stated, “There’s no one available who could replace Perez. He performs well in the races, unlike Nyck de Vries.”
Helmut Marko is still chill with Perez it seems #F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/SjyMm1mT6A
— FormulaNerds 🤓🏁 (@Formula_Nerds) July 8, 2023
Admittedly, de Vries and Perez are both believed to be on the line to lose their respective seats, given how they are performing lately. But Marko’s comments will add nothing but confidence for the Guadalajara man.
Along with Marko, Horner backs Perez too
To go with Marko’s statements, the Red Bull driver has proved his worth in races. Despite having multiple Q1 exits, he only finished outside points once in 2023. That too in a track like Monaco, where it is tough to overtake.
Now, syncing with Marko’s statements, the Austrian team boss had supported the former Force India star despite his trouble. While ample speculations exist on Ricciardo replacing Perez, team principal Christian Horner’s recent statements tell otherwise.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Horner said Sergio Perez has been finding form again after a few tough races. With Marko and Horner providing ample support for the 33-year-old, it will now be his time to deliver and prove them right.
