Christian Horner has called on Sergio Perez to rediscover his best form quickly. The 6-time race winner is currently in a very poor run of form. However, the Red Bull team principal is optimistic that Perez can rectify a painful sequence of events.
There will be no celebrations after Perez’s contract renewal last week. Criticism of the 34-year-old’s extension was already widespread, and this is unlikely to go away any time soon.
The trend is very clear. Since McLaren, Ferrari and now Mercedes have closed the gap, Perez has been unable to keep up. The RB20 no longer has the advantage it enjoyed over rivals in the first few rounds.
With Red Bull under growing pressure from rivals, the constructors’ standings are beginning to look precarious for the Milton Keynes team.
HORNER: RED BULL NEED SERGIO PEREZ TO IMPROVE
Speaking to the media post-race, Christian Horner analysed Perez’s form:
“It was, however, a horrible weekend for Checo. But thankfully, Ferrari didn’t score with either of their cars, and we were able to mitigate the damage.
“We’ll assess the car once we get back to Europe, and Checo will put this weekend behind him.
“We know that he’s incredibly resilient and will dust himself off and come back fighting in Barcelona.”
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JUNE 09: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Alpine F1 A524 Renault on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 09, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202406090575 // Usage for editorial use only //
Thanks to a nightmare weekend for Ferrari, alongside a brilliant win for Verstappen, Red Bull extended their Championship lead over the Italian team.
However, McLaren once again gained points on the Austrian team. With fifteen rounds left in 2024, Perez’s performances are not sustainable if Red Bull wants to win the constructors’.
McLaren are consistently outscoring Red Bull with the ‘2.0’ version of the MCL38. Meanwhile, Ferrari can be expected to find their feet and fight for victory again in Barcelona. Even Mercedes are showing they are capable of fighting for victories.
In this climate, the Mexican driver needs to step up. If not, then Verstappen’s heroics will only delay the inevitable in the constructors’ standings.
Even in the drivers’ standings, without a second Red Bull at the front, the Dutchman is facing off against multiple teams on his own. This scenario is obviously detrimental to the reigning Champions.
