Sergio Perez denies rising speculation regarding departure from Red Bull
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Sergio Perez has confidently dismissed rising speculation regarding his potential departure from Red Bull, asserting that a summer driver switch is merely a "last resort" according to sources.
The Mexican driver has found himself off the podium for the past eight races, while his teammate Max Verstappen has clinched seven victories in the same period. Consequently, Perez stands sixth in the drivers' championship, trailing Verstappen by 137 points.
According to reports, a mid-season driver replacement is under consideration due to Perez’s dwindling form. With back-to-back races in Hungary and Belgium ahead of the traditional August break, the pressure is mounting on the Mexican driver to perform.
Perez addressed the rumors following the British Grand Prix by downplaying any imminent decision linked to his performance in the upcoming races.
"There's nothing related to that. Obviously, I cannot talk about my contract," Perez said, referring to the 2025 extension confirmed by the team in early June. "What I said was the next two races are important for me, I want to go on holiday with a good spirit and I think it's good for my side of the garage to go with a good spirit. I wasn't talking about anything else. I'm fully focused to fully deliver. I will be here and here again next year and that's nothing different. I'm just fully committed to myself."
Recent developments have seen Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson undergo a 200km filming day test, believed to have been used to evaluate his performance. Lawson is reportedly a potential candidate to replace either Perez at Red Bull or Daniel Ricciardo at the junior team AlphaTauri, based on the most critical need by August.
An insider shared that the belief within the team is that Lawson will be on the grid for the Dutch Grand Prix following the summer break. Additionally, Red Bull's junior driver Yuki Tsunoda has expressed his interest in stepping up to Perez's seat.
"I think a lot of drivers out there would love to have my seat," Perez acknowledged. "It's obvious, no? It's one of the top seats. It's normal for Yuki to want to move up. It's just normal when you are in a lower seat, you want to move up. That's part of the nature of the sport. I've got nothing against it. It's good to have higher ambitions in the sport."
Pressed on whether team principal Christian Horner provided any assurances regarding his future post-break, Perez replied, "I just renewed my contract not long ago. I don't think that's relevant, for us, for the team. What's relevant is we focus on track, we focus back in the factory, we focus on the things we can control. The rest is just external noise, that's how it works."
Perez repeatedly mentioned his aim to race for Red Bull in the Abu Dhabi finale, indicating his confidence in retaining his seat through the season.
The situation at Red Bull is more critical this year compared to the previous season. In 2022, Red Bull held a 208-point lead over Mercedes in the constructors' championship ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. This year, however, the lead has tightened, with the team currently leading Ferrari by 71 points and McLaren by 78.
While accepting responsibility for his lackluster performance, Perez also suggested that the team's race strategies have not always been on point.
"I haven't been performing, first of all, at my 100% in the circumstances when you put yourself in difficult positions. I take a lot of responsibility for that. Obviously, there's been a lot of circumstances as well with different sort of races, so I think it's a little bit of everything when you are in this vicious circle.
"We had a really strong Friday but then I messed up in Silverstone in qualifying. Then with the strategy in Silverstone we just throw the dice and see what happens and it didn't work for us. The main thing is I've been in this business too long and I know it will only matter where I finish in Abu Dhabi. So let's ride the rollercoaster and hopefully get back on form very soon."
As the Hungarian and Belgian Grand Prix approach, much remains at stake for Perez. The upcoming races will be crucial in defining his immediate future with Red Bull.
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