Red Bull team principal opened up to acknowledge Sergio Perez’s puzzling performance compared to now three-time champion Max Verstappen. Even though the team bagged the constructors title with six races to spare, Verstappen’s contribution has out-weighed Perez’s the entire season. Talking to the media in Qatar, Horner lays out his plan to try and fix this problem.
Red Bull is currently stuck in a predicament with Perez’s role in the team. While the Mexican has proven himself to be a reliable and competitive driver in the past, this season has been tarnished by mistakes and avoidable circumstances. Once a name that could have challenged Verstappen in 2023, Perez’s ineptitude to shine in a masterpiece of a car has brought up question marks beside his name.
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The weekend in Losail has been no different. Checo had a shot at making it to the top 10 in Saturday’s qualifying, but a cruel twist of fate saw his lap times deleted for track limits. As a result, he concluded his sessions with a one-second deficit to Verstappen. This has been an ugly pattern for the driver who has found himself outside the top 10 in eight out of 17 qualifying attempts this season.
Christian Horner opens up on Red Bull situation
With the world demanding Perez to be replaced and the now-popular narrative of a mid-season replacement next year, Horner chooses to take the empathetic approach.
As reported by RaceFans, Horner has no explanation for the gap between his two drivers. “It was a shame for Checo.” However, Horner refuses to subtract the intimidation from being Max Verstappen’s teammate.
“I think it’s mentally a tough game. All top-line sport is. And when you’re going up against a driver like Max and with the pressure that comes with it, that pressure only intensifies.”
Admitting that qualifying sessions are his second driver’s ‘Achilles heel’, the team principal hopes Perez will respond to the pressure of being in the hottest seats on the grid. After all, the runner-up position in the championship is on the line, and handing it to Lewis Hamilton could have repercussions.
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But while his counterpart Helmut Marko has amped up the tension, Horner wants to go easy on Perez. “We just need to support him as a team and try and do the best to get the most out of him and make sure he finishes in that second place in the championship.”
Helmut Marko doubts Sergio Perez
Helmut Marko also offered his insights on this weakness. Ahead of the Qatar GP, Marko addressed Perez’s qualifying struggles, but unlike Horner, his statements were a jab at the driver.
Weaving a narrative that only skillful drivers like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton could rival Verstappen, Marko snubbed the man who currently holds the seat. “Only great drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso would manage alongside him [Max Verstappen].”
Further, Marko’s trust in his driver seems to be waning as he watches Perez hold onto P2 by a thread while Hamilton attacks with all his might. “We have to defend second place because Hamilton – unfortunately – is getting closer and closer.”
Perez has to do just one thing to ensure his seat is safe next season. First, the P2 in the driver’s championship needs to be in the bag. After getting that out of the way, the next season would need to have a flawless start to keep a hungry Daniel Ricciardo at bay. F1 is a ruthless sport and Red Bull strives for perfection. Anything otherwise could only result in a painful outcome for Sergio Perez.
