Red Bull finds itself in a sticky situation with Sergio Perez. The looming Daniel Ricciardo threat aside, Perez’s points are a glaring reminder of Red Bull’s past and thereby, his disposable position in the team. Further, Helmut Marko’s blatant disrespect towards the driver is no reason to stay. Thus, taking the words in the media as a precaution, Perez was ready to prepare for the worst. However, Horner stops him just in time.
Barely contributing to half the points in Red Bull’s constructors tally of 593, Perez’s season has been under a lot of scrutiny. Initially, Perez was crowned as the only man who could possibly take down Verstappen, and came close to it, albeit briefly. But heavy is the head.
After a lot of public condemnation from fans and F1 gurus, Perez had enough. In a recent interview, Checo had expressed, “If this place in 2024 is not here, we have to look for other alternatives.”
Perez needs to feel important to the team; to be of genuine use to the reigning champions. However, the spotlight is on Max Verstappen, and rightly so. His dominance has been the core narrative of the season.
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And so, Perez has been in the shadows. “With the season we had, it is important to hold the next races in an environment in which I feel I can contribute.”
Christian Horner reassures Sergio Perez of Red Bull seat
Ahead of the Singapore GP, a circuit where Perez drank the victor’s champagne last season, Horner looked at the future. When asked about the security of Checo’s 2024 seat, Horner left no room for speculation.
Speaking to the media at Marina Bay, Horner set the record straight. “He will be there, it’s clear. He is second in the World Championship.” Horner even took the opportunity to water down the comparisons to Verstappen. “He was the only one to win besides Verstappen.”
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While it may not seem a big compliment on the surface, with the rest of the grid grappling at the opportunity to defeat Verstappen, Horner’s reminder of Perez’s feat was a resounding one. However, he isn’t blind to the faults. “He had complicated qualifying, but in the race he is strong.”
Why is Perez questioning his future at Milton Keynes?
Perez has been feeling the heat of being Max Verstappen’s teammate. While rumors from enemy camps swirl that the teams build their car around their golden boy, it is hard to ignore Verstappen’s ability to read the car and quickly maximize its performance.
Nevertheless, it is also the second year Perez has complained about being unable to fully tap into the car, and has stated that it is being developed away from his preferences. Thus, he finds himself in a very Valtteri Bottas-esque situation.
Perez has to come to terms with the fact that Red Bull will almost always have all their eggs in Verstappen’s basket. That relationship has been a strong one from the start and anyone who comes into the second seat will only be a newcomer.
The Verstappen-centric environment at Red Bull would only push him to look at an exit strategy, and with Red Bull on his CV, any team would be foolish not to consider taking Perez in their seats.
