Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has made clear that Sergio Perez must improve upon his recent F1 performances.
In a Formula 1 season where Red Bull Racing dominated, the 33-year-old is unable to capitalize on the RB19’s potential. Max Verstappen secured yet another race win today, whilst Perez could only manage 10th place.
Although a pit-lane start complicated Perez’s evening, his own unforced errors were no help. The winner of two Grand Prix this season suffered a series of 5-second time penalties, which pushed him to the very edge of the points. Team Boss Horner didn’t hold back after the race.
Christian Horner increases the pressure
Even without these sanctions, Checo was still far off the pace. Christian Horner took note of this, explaining to F1TV post-race that improvements are urgently needed:
“We have to talk to Checo after the race about why he had such a hard time with track limits.
“It was a tough race and a tough weekend for him. Luckily, Lewis didn’t score any points, and Fernando didn’t score much either.
“So he’s still second [in the standings]. He desperately needs to find his form again.”
These quotes from Horner are significant, especially in the wider context of 2023. Generally speaking, the Red Bull team principal has been consistent in offering support for Perez in media interviews.
Even amidst Q1 and Q2 eliminations, Horner is often unwavering in his defence of his drivers. The outspoken Helmut Marko is typically the source of the more controversial statements from the Red Bull camp.
Before this weekend’s action at the Losail circuit, rumours intensified surrounding Perez’s future at Red Bull Racing. After a largely difficult season, there remains skepticism about his long-term position on the team. Perez himself was unimpressed with this speculation, criticising media reporting on his season. However, another tough weekend in Qatar has worsened the situation for the 33-year-old.
Nothing guaranteed
To be clear, finishing second in the standings should be a bare minimum target in that RB19. This is especially true given the decline of Aston Martin this season, which has complicated Alonso’s chances of passing the Mexican driver.
Lewis Hamilton failed to score points in Qatar but can still plausibly deny Perez of second in the standings. All things considered, neither Alonso nor Hamilton should be within touching distance of the second Red Bull.
Once again, it must be emphasised that nothing can be predicted for 2024. As ever, the situation is very delicate concerning the Austrian team’s driver roster.
This should not be the case, though – with Perez only expected to be within touching distance of his teammate. Even a 100-point deficit to Verstappen would put Checo comfortably 2nd in the standings.
Whilst the order from P2-P4 in the standings remains unclear, some would argue this shouldn’t matter at Red Bull. The current performance Perez is operating at is clear.
It is up to Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to decide whether better options are available for 2024.
