Pérez spins out of Q1 at British GP, Red Bull future in doubt

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

SILVERSTONE, England – Under immense pressure, Sergio Pérez failed to silence the critics surrounding his future, spinning out in the first qualifying session at the British Grand Prix.

Pérez ran wide at the Stowe corner, losing control and ultimately beaching his car in the gravel.

Despite signing a new deal with Red Bull after the Monaco Grand Prix, Pérez's recent form has been lackluster, with only 15 points from the past five races. This performance slump has put his position at the team on shaky ground.

According to reports, if Pérez's poor form continues into the summer break, Red Bull might be forced to consider replacements.

Starting from 19th, Pérez dismissed speculation that mounting pressure caused his mistake. "No, no, no, no, that has nothing to do with it," he said. "I'm fully focused on my job, fully focused on getting the performance out of myself. I know where I can be. Yesterday was a very positive day; things were moving in the right direction. So yeah, head down, and it's a matter of time before we turn the situation around."

When asked if he was confident about his position in the team, Pérez replied, "Yes, of course. I'm fully committed to the team and my career. I have a contract with the team, and I will turn things around. It's not something that distracts me."

Red Bull's concern over Pérez's spiralling form has grown as the competition at the front has tightened. McLaren CEO Zak Brown noted earlier that Pérez's poor results could allow his team to contest Red Bull for the constructors' championship.

Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured the front row, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris, who will start ahead of Max Verstappen in the other Red Bull.

Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull are in prime positions to step up if Pérez's performance does not improve, with New Zealander Liam Lawson available to replace either of them if needed.

Verstappen commented on his teammate's form after the session, noting the challenge of competing with Mercedes and McLaren with a struggling Pérez. "You know I try not to think about it," Verstappen said. "At the end of the day, you always have to do it yourself. No-one is going to help you win a race or whatever. You really have to go out on your own strength, and of course, it was super unfortunate to lose Checo in Q1.

"From my side, tomorrow is a new day where first of all you have to wait and see what the weather will do as well, but I'm confident that if we have a clean car, let's say it like that, we can be in the mix. I'm not saying that we're going to be the quickest, but at least when we're in the mix, there is always something possible."

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