Coming into the Canadian GP weekend, Jacques Villeneuve took a shot at Daniel Ricciardo, suggesting that he is on the grid because of his image and not results. The Canadian criticized his form and questioned V-CARB’s decision to give him a seat. 1996 World Champion Damon Hill has now come out to suggest that Perez’s situation is similar to that of Ricciardo’s.
“I know Jacques very well. He will say what everyone else is frightened of saying” said Hill on the F1 Nation podcast. “The thing is, you can say the same about Checo, who needs to step it up a bit. I don’t know how you do it.”
Although Perez had a great start to the 2024 season, he has been nowhere near the top five in the last three outings. P8 in Imola, a DNF in Monaco, and then in Canada. The Mexican is certainly not having a good time of late.
A hat-trick of wins in Montreal for Max! A Sunday to forget for Checo after retiring due to damage sustained in a crash on Lap 53.
Result Max P1! , NOR, RUS, HAM, PIA, ALO, STR, RIC, GAS, OCO. Checo DNF pic.twitter.com/sT4YWoQX1y
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 9, 2024
His poor form also coincides with a two-year contract extension with Red Bull. As such, many eyebrows were raised at the team’s decision, and Perez would have loved to silence critics by performing well in Montreal; something that didn’t happen.
A driver who can challenge Max Verstappen is a huge ask. But Red Bull still needs someone to score big points and keep the Dutchman on his toes. With the field getting ever so close, Perez having poor performances could lead to his team slipping up in the Constructors’ Championship. This is why Perez getting a multi-year deal was especially surprising.
Sergio Perez’s Red Bull Contract: What might be the reason behind the 1+1 year deal?
One of the main reasons why Sergio Perez reportedly got his new contract is Verstappen. The Dutchman is said to be happy with Perez as his teammate and doesn’t want someone else to come and challenge him for wins. Another reason – a much simpler – one revolves around the team’s finances.
McLaren boss Zak Brown came out to suggest that Red Bull could suffer from monetary issues. Certain sponsors are believed to be apprehensive of continuing their partnership with the team following the Christian Horner controversy.
Because of this Perez’s sponsors could come in handy. The 34-year-old brings in huge brands like Disney, Telcel, Mobil, Claro, Nescafé, and KitKat.
Ralf Schumacher theorized that Verstappen’s salary is a hefty amount for Red Bull. And the financial aid brought in by Checo helps fund the budget for the same. Yet, if Perez doesn’t perform, Red Bull is believed to have the power to replace the Mexican courtesy of certain clauses in the 1+1 year contract.
