Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hinted at a potential change within his team following Sergio Perez's disappointing performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix. As the pressure mounts in the Constructors’ Championship, Horner's comments are stirring speculations about Perez's future with the team.
The weekend at Mexico City, once seen as an opportunity for Perez to shine on home soil, instead became an exampled of his ongoing struggles in the 2024 season. The first setback came when Perez failed to advance beyond the first qualifying session due to issues with his vehicle's handling, rooted in a recurring braking problem. During the actual race, a false start penalty compounded his woes, followed by a costly collision with VCARB driver and rumored successor Liam Lawson. These incidents left his car damaged, ultimately causing him to limp home in 17th place.
Red Bull has felt the repercussions of Perez's struggles. The team has dropped to third in the Constructors' Championship standings, with only four races left to recover their position. Perez’s teammate Max Verstappen has seen his lead in the drivers' championship narrow to 47 points.
Christian Horner did not mince words in addressing the current situation. Speaking to various media outlets following the race, Horner explained:
“Look, as I just said, that scrutiny is always going to be there.
“There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made. We're now third in the constructors' championship.
“Our determination is to try and get back into a winning position, but it's going to be a tall order over these next four races.
“Formula 1 is a results based business and when anyone is underperforming of course there is always going to become scrutiny on that
“As a team we need to have both cars scoring points. That is the nature of Formula 1.”
He added:
“From the team’s perspective we are working with him as hard as we can to try and support him.
“We’ve done everything that we can and we’ll continue to do so in Brazil next weekend, but there comes a point in time that you can only do so much.”
The upcoming race in Brazil offers Perez another opportunity to turn his season around and potentially secure his spot within the team. However, the looming possibility of changes remains undeniable. Although Perez has a contract extending through 2025 with the option of another year, performance clauses mean his position is not entirely secure. Potential candidates like Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson from Red Bull's sister team, VCARB, are reportedly being considered should changes be deemed necessary.
