The recently concluded Monaco Grand Prix has been nothing but shambolic for Sergio Perez. With the Principality race being a waste for him and the team, Perez receives a stern warning from the Red Bull top man, as Daniel Ricciardo lurking in the background.
The 2023 Monaco GP will always be a race to remember. On the track where he won last year, he not only failed to defend his win but also couldn’t manage to salvage a point.
As the Mexican was subjected to an unfortunate crash in Q1 on Saturday, he started the race from P20. With the Principality track being a narrow one, it was next to impossible for him to get up the order.
As the 33-year-old failed to add to Red Bull’s tally in Monte Carlo despite having a superior car compared to the rivals, Helmut Marko stepped up to serve him an ultimatum.
Marko warns Perez after Monaco’s mistake
The Red Bull top brass, including Marko, was unhappy about Perez’s situation in Monaco. With the sixth race of the season being a street track, where a driver like him thrives, there were huge expectations of him.
With him failing to live up to that, now he’s on the check as the Red Bull taskmaster serves a stern warning. Speaking about it to Servus TV and Sky Deutschland, Marko said, “His race was impossible, after that accident, it didn’t matter anymore.”
Not the weekend I expected, I let down my team, but I’ll comeback stronger.
Now on to Barcelona.No el fin de semana que esperaba, le fallé a mi equipo, pero volveré con todo. Ahora ya a pensar en Barcelona.#SP11 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/ikQtoAFFjZ
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) May 28, 2023
“It all went wrong, but I hope Sunday’s mistakes are enough for the rest of the season. Overall, his speed when he was driving free was good. But the crash in qualifying ruined the weekend,” concluded the 80-year-old veteran, as per FormulaPassion.
After starting from P20, Sergio Perez couldn’t do much, except try hard for a comeback. In the end, the 33-year-old finished the race 2 laps behind the race winner and his teammate Max Verstappen with five pit stops.
Does Ricciardo have a chance in Red Bull if Perez fails?
As the Honey Badger arrived in the Austrian team this season, the defending champions always have a chance to replace a driver. With sheer driving prowess and his prior experience of driving the Bulls, the Australian might be a good fit for the team.
If this is added with Perez showcasing poor performances in race after race, is there any chance for the Honey Badger to make a much-anticipated comeback to the Red Bull cockpit? The answer is no, as of now.
Both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko clarified at the beginning of this season [when signing Ricciardo back] that the deal for him is a special one [reserve driver] and it doesn’t necessarily guarantee him a seat.
