The speculations surrounding Sergio Perez’s future continue to intensify as false rumors recently emerged that the Mexican could announce his retirement at his upcoming home race. A former employee of the 33-year-old’s biggest sponsor, Escuderia Telmex, had taken to Reddit and claimed that the Guadalajara-born driver is contemplating retirement. However, Perez has no plans of retiring this early as he once said in an interview that he hopes to race in F1 for another three years. Since these rumors gained so much attention, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was also recently asked for his response.
The Austrian has been the most critical of Perez as he has repeatedly explained how the Mexican is not at the level of Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. Recently, the 80-year-old also went to the extent of slamming Perez’s abilities as an F1 driver because of his nationality, a comment that received massive backlash.
However, it is pertinent to note that Marko is not the only individual who has criticized Perez recently. Several F1 experts have discussed among themselves about which racer Red Bull can sign if they choose to replace the former Racing Point driver. Such discussions among F1 experts only add to the pressure that Perez is already facing at the moment.
Helmut Marko answers if Sergio Perez will retire
According to Junaid, there are widespread rumors that Red Bull have already fired Sergio Perez. As a result, the Mexican is now all set to announce his retirement at his upcoming home race. However, a Red Bull spokesperson has since denied the same and cited it as a “false report“.
This same question was also put forward to Helmut Marko, who replied (as quoted by Junaid), “I don’t know anything about that“. Hence, the only thing that remains certain at this point is that Red Bull are not happy with the way Perez currently has been performing.
The bosses of the Milton Keynes outfit have made it clear that if the 33-year-old is keen to prove his worth, he needs to finish second in the championship this season. While Perez is currently second in the championship, he just has a 30-point lead over third-placed Lewis Hamilton, who is breathing down his neck.
Red Bull’s expectations are clear for Sergio Perez
As per Junaid, Red Bull expect Sergio Perez to finish second in the championship as the team has set a target of clinching a 1-2 for the first time with their two drivers. However, if the Mexican ends up losing second place to Lewis Hamilton despite having the fastest car on the current grid, then the Milton Keynes outfit may need to look elsewhere.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has already made it clear that the team cannot afford to have such a huge difference in level between their two drivers. In a recent interview with motorsport.com, the 49-year-old explained that if the grid continues to concertina next year, then Red Bull will need both their drivers to perform to compete for the Constructors’ Championship in 2024.
