Sergio Perez is under immense pressure this weekend at the Hungarian GP. Red Bull demand better results from Perez, who has scored just 11 points in the last five rounds. Speaking bluntly as ever, Helmut Marko says that Perez’s contract offers no guarantees about his future.
Red Bull demand improvement from Perez
Typically, signing an F1 contract silences speculation about a driver’s future. In a dramatic change of events, Sergio Perez has experienced the opposite.
The 34-year-old’s performances in recent months have seen Red Bull second-guess their decision to give him a new deal.
When Perez was given an extension, there was already scepticism about the move.
Many argued that the Mexican driver would struggle to hold his own amidst the resurgence of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
Since then, these fears have largely been proven correct. On a good weekend, Perez finds himself around P7 or P8, the last of the front-runners.
On other days, it is not uncommon for the #11 car to finish outside of the points.
Marko: Performance is the most important factor
Helmut Marko explains that, regardless of his contract, Perez must improve:
“There are different forms of performance clauses,” he told ORF.
“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what a contract looks like. You just have to deliver.
“We’ll look at the two races and then sit down together to discuss what and how things will continue after the summer break.
“The constructors’ championship is very, very important for all employees.
“Because the bonuses are paid out after the constructors’ championship.
“That means that if we win the drivers’ championship, the employees don’t get anything out of it. That’s why we have to make sure that this support continues.”
Red Bull still unsure about their alternatives
As revealed by Helmut Marko and Christian Horner in recent weeks, the next two rounds will be critical for the team’s decision.
Red Bull have no shortage of drivers at their disposal to drive alongside Max Verstappen.
As it stands, there is still no clear favourite to potentially replace Perez at Red Bull.
The likes of Tsunoda, Ricciardo and Lawson are all understood to be in the mix.
However, for various reasons, Christian Horner’s team is unwilling to pull the trigger and upset the status quo.
This reluctance has given Sergio Perez some margin for error, although this has largely been exhausted at this stage.
Moving forward, the 6-time race winner must give Red Bull a reason to retain his services beyond the summer break.
