Sergio Perez has come under a lot of scrutiny in 2023. Like many others, his stocks in Formula 1 have suffered by teaming up with Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez does have a contract with Red Bull till 2024. However, a contract in Formula 1 is often worth less than the paper it’s written on. Christian Horner maintains that his seat is not in danger for 2024. Although he said something similar for Nyck de Vries as well.
Sergio’s Disappointing Run
Sergio Perez had a bright start to 2023. In a dominant Red Bull, he went toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen. He managed to take 2 pole positions and 2 victories in the first 5 races. However, he went on to crash at Monaco during Q1 and spent the entire race out of the points. He seemed to have lost confidence in the car and was regularly making mistakes and finding the barriers. He did this again in Free Practice 2 at Monza, although he recovered to a P2 on Sunday.
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Since then, Sergio Perez endured a run of multiple races without making it to Q3. Every Sunday was a recovery drive for him. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was busy getting poles and wins on every weekend, extending his championship lead. He put an end to his rut in Hungary and made it into Q3. He has finished on the podium for Red Bull in 3 of the 4 races since then.
Pressure on the Mexican
Sergio Perez put undue pressure on himself when he realized he could fight for the championship, according to Christian Horner. Sergio can probably see the competition there is for him within the Red Bull camp.
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This is why, for the first time in 2023, Sergio Perez mentioned the possibility of not being in Red Bull for 2024. He feels it’s important to build on his recent run of form and make himself comfortable once again. If the place (at Red Bull) isn’t there, the Mexican will look elsewhere. In the meantime, Christian Horner continues to remain supportive of his driver.
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