Sergio Perez’s contract with Red Bull Racing is under fire following a string of poor performances that have put his future with the team into question. Despite having signed a two-year contract extension in June, Pérez has struggled in the latter part of the first half of the 2024 season.
Over the last six races, he has earned a mere 15 points and endured two race retirements. These results have caused many people to question if the contract extension was the right choice, with Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, highlighting the unsustainable nature of Perez’s current performance levels.
Horner has been honest about the need for improvement, suggesting that the team’s success depends on both drivers performing at their peak.
“We need both cars scoring points consistently,” Horner remarked, emphasizing the crucial role that each driver plays in securing a strong constructor’s championship finish. This comment highlights the gravity of Perez’s situation, as the team is known for its high standards and competitive edge.
During media day at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Perez addressed these concerns directly.
The 34-year-old Mexican driver expressed his own dissatisfaction with his recent results and wants to get back to pre-Imola form, but he says he will be staying with the team until his contract runs out.
“Nothing new.
“It’s another two races for us that we want to go back to our top form. That’s the main priority for me, for the team. I was back in the factory over the week and that is the main priority for us to get back to the form we had a couple of races ago. That’s really it.
“There’s nothing related to […] Obviously I cannot talk about my contract. What I said was the next two races are important for me. I want to go on holiday with a good spirit and I think it’s good for my side of the garage to go with a good spirit. I wasn’t talking about anything else.
“I’m fully focused to fully deliver. I will be here and here again next year and that’s nothing different. I’m just fully committed to myself.”
His struggles were particularly noticeable at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. His performance there was notably subpar; he was unable to advance beyond Q1 in qualifying after driving his car into the gravel at Copse in tricky conditions, and he ultimately finished the race in 17th place following a bad call to switch to inters far too early.
Reflecting on his recent run and Silverstone, Perez took a significant share of the blame. Friday had looked promising as he was 3rd in second practice, quicker than teammate Max Verstappen
While he also pointed to external factors that contributed to his poor performance, his acknowledgment of personal responsibility illustrates his understanding of the need for significant improvements.
“Well, I haven’t been performing, first of all, at 100% in the circumstances when you put yourself in difficult positions. I take a lot of responsibility for that.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of circumstances as well with different sorts of races, so I think it’s a little bit of everything when you are in this vicious circle.
“We had a really strong Friday [P3 in FP2] but then I messed up at Silverstone in qualifying.
“Then with the strategy we just throw the dice and see what happened and it didn’t work for us.
“The main thing is I’ve been in this business too long and I know it will only matter where I finish in Abu Dhabi.
“So let’s ride the roller coaster and hopefully get back on form very soon.”
Adding to the pressure on Perez is the emergence of Red Bull’s junior drivers, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson, who has shown promise with impressive F1 performances in 2023, is seen as a potential candidate for a promotion to the main Red Bull team.
Tsunoda, currently with VCARB, has expressed a degree of discomfort with the speculation surrounding Lawson’s potential promotion. He described the possibility as “weird,” advocating instead for his own presence alongside Max Verstappen.
Regarding Tsunoda’s comments, the 6-time race winner understood why the Japanese driver wants to take his seat.
“I think a lot of drivers out there would love to have my seat, it’s obvious. It’s one of the top seats and it’s normal for Yuki to want to move up, I think it’s just normal when you are in a lower seat you want to move up, that’s just part of the nature of the sport.
“I’ve got nothing against it, I think it’s good to have high ambitions in the sport.”
The growing interest in Red Bull’s junior drivers intensifies the competition within the team and heightens the gravity of Perez’s performances, with Daniel Ricciardo also in the mix for the drive.
Despite these challenges, Perez remains hopeful about the remainder of the season.
“It’s difficult to shut down the external noise but at the end of the day I come here to get my very best, my maximum effort and when I’m here, when I’m at home training or at home in the simulator, I focus on the important stuff.
“At the end of the day the noise, I think it’s a lot bigger when you’re at Red Bull. But it’s the beauty of this challenge. It’s why I decided to sign and extend my contract with this team, because I love the challenge. It’s really hard but it takes absolutely everything out of you and that’s why I wanted to continue here.”
This optimism reflects his belief in his and the team’s ability to reverse the current trend. Perez’s confidence is not just about his own driving skills but also about the team’s potential to bounce back from this rough patch.
The upcoming races are key for Perez. If he can regain his form and deliver strong performances, it could significantly alter the course of his season and potentially secure his position with Red Bull Racing. Conversely, continued underperformance could lead the team to explore alternative driver options.
