Soon after Sergio Perez signed a contract extension with Red Bull, his performances drastically dipped. So much so, that former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley believes that the #11 driver could be the reason that Red Bull lose the Constructors’ title this season.
As things stand, Red Bull hold a 64-point advantage over Ferrari in the championship. However, Priestley is of the opinion that Red Bull “only have one car in the picture”, as per his latest YouTube video.
He went on to explain that while Max Verstappen has been pulling in big points for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, the team will not be able to fend off rivals like McLaren and Ferrari with only the Dutchman firing on all cylinders. In the last five Grands Prix, Perez has only managed to bag 15 points for the team.
Moreover, he has crashed out and suffered DNFs in two of those races. His Monaco GP shunt also cost the team upwards of $2 million in terms of a repair bill. Therefore, the #11 driver has been somewhat of a liability for Red Bull recently.
While Red Bull has had Ferrari and McLaren to contend with, the dynamics of the championship have changed with Mercedes’ uptick in performance. The last three races have seen the Silver Arrows bag three consecutive podiums, one pole position, and a shock race win at the 2024 Austrian GP.
Red Bull can sack Perez before the Mexican’s contract expires
Perez’s recent form has not done his reputation any favors. His results as compared to Verstappen have exposed his weaknesses and relative lack of form. Priestley also went on to point out a lack of confidence Red Bull have shown in the Mexican’s abilities.
Priestly explained that the statements put out by Red Bull and Christian Horner around the time the #11 driver’s extension was announced don’t make it out to be a two-year deal as advertised. Priestly is of the strong opinion that Red Bull have only offered Perez a one-year deal with an option to extend for 2026 which would be triggered only by the team.
Most Points per Grand Prix Race in 2024 (No Sprints)
Max Verstappen – 19.8
Lando Norris – 14.2
Charles Leclerc – 14
Carlos Sainz – 12.5
Sergio Perez – 10.6
Oscar Piastri – 8.4
George Russell – 7.6
Lewis Hamilton – 5.3
Fernando Alonso – 4.6 pic.twitter.com/heJBtxBaLM— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) June 15, 2024
Therefore, if Perez cannot pull his socks up with 14 more races to go, the team may sack him even before his contract expires.
