Driver Sergio Perez of Red Bull is allegedly in danger of losing his job at the dominant Formula One team if he is unable to turn around his situation.
Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez is under intense scrutiny, with his seat at the elite F1 team reportedly at risk if he fails to turn his performance around. Despite signing a two-year extension keeping him at Red Bull until 2026, Perez’s recent form has been disappointing, slipping to fifth in the drivers’ standings after missing the podium in six consecutive races. Over the last five races, Perez has managed only 15 points compared to teammate Max Verstappen’s 101.
“Obviously, Sergio has had a tough spell,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to Sky Sports. “His first five races were very competitive. The last five have been nowhere, and we want to see the Sergio from the first five back. He knows that, he’s aware of that, he’s been working hard in the sim this week, working hard to understand where it’s just not playing out for him. But what we’ve constantly seen with him is this resilience to bounce back. We’re hoping to see that very soon.”
Amid rising concerns about Perez’s performance, Auto Motor und Sport has reported that the Mexican driver could be in danger of losing his seat if he doesn’t improve, with Daniel Ricciardo being the prime candidate to replace him.
When asked by the German publication if Perez was at risk of being replaced, Red Bull Racing Chief Adviser Helmut Marko said, “We will know more during the summer holidays.” Performance clauses in the contracts of both Perez and Ricciardo reportedly allow for a seat switch if necessary.
Asked whether Red Bull had offered Perez a contract extension too soon, Horner replied, “That’s a brutally hard question. It made absolute sense to sign Checo at that point in time, but this is a business in which there are pressures to deliver. We thought the contract would help. I think it’s something that Checo is working very hard on, and he knows this is a sport where there’s no hiding. Particularly with Max Verstappen as your teammate. He knows he’s being measured against the very best, and we need him up there supporting Max, because there are two McLarens now, two Ferraris, two Mercedes, and we need there to be desperately two Red Bulls.”
Ricciardo, who raced for Red Bull from 2014 to 2018, has had a mixed start to his 2024 campaign, currently sitting 13th in the standings with 11 points. However, the 35-year-old Australian has shown signs of improvement recently, securing points finishes in Canada and Austria.
Fox Sports’ Michael Lamonato noted that Ricciardo’s upturn in form has coincided with Perez’s decline, sparking speculation about a potential seat swap. Perez, who finished in FP2 at Silverstone on Friday, will have another chance to prove his worth at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Originally published as “Door opens for Daniel Ricciardo as Sergio Perez endures horror slump.”
