Sergio Perez came into the 2024 Belgian GP weekend with immense speculation about his Red Bull career. The #11 driver has been going through a rough patch of form that has augmented Red Bulls’ struggles this year. With the Constructors’ championship on the line, it was being strongly suggested that Perez was nearing the end of his time with the team.
Round 14 of the 2024 season is currently taking place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The midway point of the season is often when the driver market takes shape. Team advisor Helmut Marko revealed that the team will decide Perez’s future after the Grand Prix on Sunday.
It would appear, however, that Perez may have given the Austrian and Christian Horner a lot to think about after his performance during qualifying. After many disappointing qualifying results in the past, Perez will start the race from the front row of the grid.
⏱️ 0.011 seconds in it…
The battle between Leclerc and Perez for Sunday’s top starting spot went down to the wire! #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/8rsb12xcm6
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2024
The Mexican will start from P2 after his teammate Max Verstappen takes a ten-place grid drop for taking a new engine. Perez’s qualifying time not only brought him within six-tenths of his teammate but also opened up a strategic possibility for Red Bull to help Verstappen get himself on the podium.
The Constructors’ championship is the team’s main priority. If Perez can convert his Saturday performance into a strong result during Sunday’s race, the team could be persuaded to rethink the #11 driver’s position within the team.
Perez is confident to retain his seat at Red Bull
Despite all the noise surrounding him, Perez has always maintained the utmost confidence in himself. Speaking after his performance during qualifying, the #11 driver was certain of retaining his seat after the summer break as well.
He explained, “Tomorrow is a new opportunity to do better. And in my opinion, tomorrow is what really matters. If I don’t have a good race tomorrow, I will try to have a good one in support.”
His current focus is on getting back on track and everything else is “pure speculation,” he clarifies and emphasizes: “The team is working really hard with me to get the season going again.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) July 25, 2024
The only reason why Red Bull have been hesitant to pull the trigger on Perez so far is likely to be his marketability. If the Mexican can convince the team of his skills on the track as well, he would have a better chance of retaining his seat.
