Red Bull Racing is already crippled with the budget cap punishment they received last season for their cost cap breach in 2021. Amid this disadvantage, Sergio Perez added more misery for the Austrian team as he incurred $2,459,000 worth of crash damages, as per an X post. Therefore, if the numbers go high and Perez fails to deliver time and time again, there are chances he might be swapped with Liam Lawson in the future.
The Mexican driver did not have the exact continuation of the season he wanted. Even though he began the season with two wins and two P2 in first five races till Miami, his performance dipped from there on.
With the drop in performance, there came numerous crashes which not only shook his confidence but also gave his team a huge bill to deal with. Therefore, this has certainly not been a positive situation for Perez.
How did Perez perform in 2023?
Perez currently stands in P2 in the driver’s championship with 223 points. However, he is 177 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen, who is one race away from claiming his third straight world championship.
On the other hand, Perez has seen multiple Q1 exits, finishes outside podiums despite having the mighty RB-19 underneath him, and numerous hard crashes that exposed the hard work done by Adrian Newey and Co.
Sergio Perez carrying Red Bull in the World Destructor’s Championship 💪 pic.twitter.com/PEHLAQzG8s
— Mahir 🇹🇷🇬🇧 (@ScrewderiaF1) September 25, 2023
The Mexican star stands third after Logan Sargeant and Lance Stroll when it comes to the cost incurred due to crash damage, according to an X post. It is not a bright sign for the 33-year-old against the young prodigy Lawson, who is having a fantastic debut at AlphaTauri.
What’s next for Perez and Lawson?
Despite multiple reports of Perez being replaced, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko constantly supported the Mexican star. Horner also mentioned that Perez will race for Red Bull in 2024.
As for Lawson, the New Zealander will have to make way for Daniel Ricciardo, who is expected to return after recovering from injury. However, he found himself a place in the team as the main team’s reserve driver behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
However, if Perez fails to keep his P2 in the drivers’ championship this season, things might change drastically for him. As this will see the Milton-Keynes-based team lose out 1-2 finish in the championship yet again after last year’s loss to Charles Leclerc.
