Sergio Perez, sick, is uncertain for the Austrian GP
Sergio Pérez is sick and did not show up in front of the media on Thursday. If he doesn't recover by tomorrow, the sprint race weekend might force the Mexican to step aside.
The race weekend begins today in Austria. This Thursday, the drivers tour the media and participate in the press conferences set up by Formula 1. One notable absence is to be noted today, that of Sergio Perez.
The Red Bull driver was not present at the press conferences. His team explained in a statement that their driver stayed back to rest and prepare for Friday’s events.
Checo [Perez] will not be on the circuit today. He fell ill last night and is taking the day to rest to ensure that he is in the best possible health for this weekend’s race, an Austrian team spokesperson told the media.
A situation that comes at a bad time for the team due to a sprint race weekend. The drivers will have to undergo a qualifying session for the weekend race starting this Friday.
The goal for Red Bull is for their second driver to be able to race alongside Max Verstappen for their home Grand Prix. If the Mexican is unable to participate in the trials, Red Bull will have to consider replacing the current second in the drivers’ championship.
Several solutions to replace number 11
If the 33-year-old driver cannot drive this weekend, the Red Bull team can have several solutions. First, the Austrian team can bring up a driver from the AlphaTauri team, as Mercedes did with George Russell in 2020 in Sakhir. Yuki Tsunoda and Nick de Vries could therefore become Red Bull drivers for a Grand Prix. This solution is very unlikely given the disappointing results of the AlphaTauri drivers.
Liam Lawson could also drive the Mexican’s car if he can’t race this weekend. The New Zealander, who competes in Super Formula, doesn’t have a race this weekend. He could therefore come back to stand in for “Checo” Perez. The former Carlin driver in Formula 2 is a Red Bull-affiliated driver and could therefore assist the Austrian team.
The most likely choice for Red Bull if Sergio Perez does not participate in the Grand Prix would be Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian is the reserve driver for the energy drink company. The 33-year-old driver already knows the team, as he has raced under the Red Bull colors for 100 Grand Prix.
