Christian Horner has announced that Sergio Perez will remain with Red Bull for the remainder of the season, confirming the Mexican driver’s status as Max Verstappen’s teammate. This decision follows critical discussions on Monday regarding Perez’s future after the Belgian Grand Prix.
Recent comments from the team’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, suggested that Perez “completely collapsed” during the race, leading to speculation about his position on the team. Perez had been under pressure to perform, having only scored 21 points across the previous seven races. Although he qualified second on the grid, he struggled during the race and finished in eighth place (later promoted to seventh due to George Russell’s disqualification), which was three places behind Verstappen, who started 11th after a grid penalty.
Rumors had circulated that Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, as well as junior team drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, could potentially replace Perez. However, after confirming that Perez’s future was a topic of discussion during Monday’s meeting, Horner stated that the Mexican would not be replaced.
Horner addressed the Red Bull team, saying, “Checo remains a Red Bull Racing driver despite recent speculation, and we look forward to seeing him perform at tracks where he has previously excelled after the summer break.”
Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater reports that earlier discussions had circulated around Perez’s potential replacement, with Horner and Marko meeting to deliberate on the situation. Despite Marko’s critical remarks about Perez’s performance in Belgium, Horner ultimately decided against a change, emphasizing the need for stability within the team.
With Max Verstappen comfortably positioned in the driver standings but McLaren closing in on Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, Horner’s decision also reflects a strategic choice. The inconsistency in Perez’s points compared to Verstappen’s has been a challenge for the team, yet Horner concluded that maintaining Perez would be the least disruptive course of action, anticipating an improvement in performance after the summer break.
Formula 1 will resume after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort from August 23-25, live on Sky Sports F1.
Credit: Sky Sports
