If last season posed significant challenges for Sergio Pérez, the current one is proving to be equally tumultuous. The Mexican driver has gradually diminished in prominence since the season’s inception, despite a reasonably promising beginning. Although he managed to showcase his talent, the achievements of his teammate, Max Verstappen, have overshadowed his own accomplishments. As the year approaches its final races, Pérez’s performance and standing are markedly misaligned with the high expectations set by Red Bull Racing.
Following the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Pérez finds himself languishing in eighth place in the Drivers’ World Championship, miles behind Verstappen. The reigning champion leads the standings with an astounding 212 points separating him from the Mexican, who has accumulated only 150 points with just four races remaining in the season, including two sprint weekends. Furthermore, Pérez’s struggles are compounded by the declining performance of the Red Bull car, which is now positioned a distant third in the Constructors’ Championship amid fierce competition from Ferrari and McLaren, both locked in a relentless battle for supremacy.
Horner threat
This dire situation has thrust Checo Pérez back into the limelight. Traditionally, he has been the frequent target of criticism from Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor; however, the clear lack of results has prompted even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to warn that decisive actions may be taken if the current trend continues. Essentially, Pérez’s seat at Red Bull appears to be under significant threat, despite the team’s announcement back in June regarding the renewal of Pérez’s contract until 2026.
The door for Carlos Sainz to join the team has been firmly shut, but Daniel Ricciardo’s unexpected exit following the Singapore Grand Prix underscores Red Bull’s commitment to performance and the potential for aggressive changes. Liam Lawson, currently standing in for the Australian, is acutely aware of this precarious situation—especially as Pérez’s recent slump may provide him with a chance to solidify his place within the ranks of Red Bull.
Although Pérez’s showing last weekend left much to be desired, marked by a misjudgment fueled by excessive optimism, his disappointing finish in 17th place came after a harrowing tussle with the rookie that almost led to contact.
Today was a tough one 🤕
But we will come back stronger 🔥
Results 🏁: SAI, NOR, LEC, RUS, HAM, Max 🫶, MAG, PIA, HUL, GAS#F1 || #MexicoGP 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/iJU4GRvhjm
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 27, 2024
Despite these incidents, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner addressed the media regarding Pérez’s recent performance, notably criticizing the weekend as a total failure: “Checo had a horrible weekend, nothing has gone well for him. He knows that Formula 1 is a results-driven sport and inevitably when you’re underperforming, the spotlight will be firmly on you. There’s always going to be scrutiny in that regard. We need both cars to score points.”
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Horner reiterated that difficult decisions could be on the horizon if he fails to witness a turnaround on the track: “There comes a time when you have to make tough decisions. Currently, we’re in third place. Our objective is to return to a position where we can secure victories, but it will be a challenging task in the upcoming four races (Brazil with a sprint, Las Vegas, Qatar in the sprint, and finally Abu Dhabi).
“From the team’s perspective, we’re working with Checo as much as we can to provide him support. I think we’ve done everything possible to support him, and we will continue this effort in Brazil for the next race,” the team principal concluded, without elaborating on what might transpire in the following weeks.