Oct.31 (GMM) Christian Horner insists it is “very unlikely” that Sunday’s Brazilian GP will be the last at Red Bull for Sergio Perez.
Already struggling for form and under the subject of intense speculation about his future, the Mexican had an abysmal race weekend at home last weekend.
“We know that qualifying is not his strong point, but being eliminated in Q1 was very disappointing,” team advisor Dr Helmut Marko wrote in his latest Speed Week column.
“The fact that a man with his experience would then position the car incorrectly in the starting box is incomprehensible and a real shame,” he added.
“This was followed by a duel with Liam Lawson, in which both drivers were too impetuous. Liam even gave his opponent the finger – he later apologised for this, and we accepted that.”
The latest swirling rumour is that Lawson, who only replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB two races ago, could be promoted into Perez’s seat at the main Red Bull team for the final three grands prix after Brazil.
Yuki Tsunoda is another theoretical candidate, but Marko is also critical of the Japanese driver.
“Yuki Tsunoda had two accidents last weekend,” he said. “First a spin in qualifying, then a collision with (Alex) Albon shortly after the start. The spin in the final practice session was doubly annoying because he not only ruined his own lap, but also Lawson’s.
“I think Yuki feels the pressure from Lawson. There is no other explanation for such a mistake,” the 81-year-old Austrian said.
As for 22-year-old Lawson, Marko said the New Zealander has already “proven his qualities and confirmed the trust placed in him”.
But according to team boss Horner, Red Bull is unlikely to oust Perez after Brazil. “I think it’s very, very unlikely,” he told Viaplay.
“We’ll sit back and look and try to understand what happened in this race.”
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya thinks the issue for Red Bull is that the team has already signed a contract with Perez for 2025, which might not be so simple to get out of.
“If I were Red Bull, I would put pressure on Sergio to retire,” the Colombian added. “But if I were Checo, I would say ‘I have a contract, I’m going to serve it out’.”
Montoya is also critical of Lawson’s driving in Mexico, including his clash with Perez.
“Lawson is trying to make a point and show that he is much better than Checo in a much worse car,” he said. “He doesn’t realise that he could now be one of the reasons why Red Bull loses the constructors’ championship.
“Perez was on his way to points, and in the end didn’t score any points, partly because Lawson crashed with him. It’s fine that he (Lawson) wants to race aggressively and make Checo’s life miserable, but he has to realise that it’s not Formula 3, it’s not a sports car, and you’re not Max Verstappen.”