Red Bull Poses Million-Dollar Question While Crushing Sergio Perez’s Hopes of Equaling Max Verstappen

Sergio Perez has been exposed to widespread criticism after failing to live up to his expectations. Despite all this, Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko has put up a million-dollar question that implies that Perez can never beat Verstappen.

The Mexican had started off the 2023 season on a good note, and four races into the season, he had an equal number of race wins as Max Verstappen. However, ever since then, Perez has had an immense dip in form. His recent performances have been nowhere near his potential.

This has led to many questions about whether Red Bull would want to continue with Perez if things continue like this. Among the possible replacements for the Mexican, the names of Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Alex Albon have come up.

Christian Horner managed to perk up some ears when he commented that he had kept a close eye on Alex Albon’s race in Canada. Apart from these drivers, youngsters like Ayumu Iwasa and Liam Lawson are still waiting on the sidelines for a chance in F1.

Helmut Marko believes that no one can come close to Verstappen

Helmut Marko recently spoke to F1 Insider about the issues regarding Sergio Perez. He made it very clear that Perez is doing all that Red Bull expects him to do. According to them, this is because no one can come close to Max Verstappen. Therefore, it is a futile exercise to compare Perez’s performance with Verstappen’s.

Marko asked, “Is there anyone who could challenge Max? right now?” He himself answered that, according to him, there is absolutely no one who can challenge Verstappen at this point in time.

Sergio Perez has a different set of duties, according to Marko. Red Bull expects the Mexican to be able to chip in with crucial points so that they can capture the Constructor’s World Championship.

Daniel Ricciardo to replace Sergio Perez?

Daniel Ricciardo is one of the leading contenders to take the Red Bull seat if the Milton Keynes outfit decides that Perez cannot do what they expect him to. The Australian has a huge fanbase backing this proposal.

The fact that he is already the reserve driver for the team makes it much easier for him. He also has been very competitive during his stint with Red Bull back from 2014 to 2018, winning seven races with them.

However, Perez has been an incredible wingman for Verstappen. He has contributed massively towards Verstappen’s World Championship wins. As for Ricciardo, he would definitely not want to be just a wingman. Therefore, it is doubtful if Red Bull would want to give up Perez for Ricciardo.