The future of Perez remains uncertain at the dawn of the 2024 season

It’s a “new” very sad weekend for Sergio Perez. The Mexican didn’t even have time to take the first corner of the race. Starting 5th on the grid, the Red Bull driver wanted to take advantage of Charles Leclerc on the outside of the first corner. However, Checo Perez turned too early, thus hitting the Ferrari before being forced out.

Christian Horner announced prior to the Grand Prix that Perez’s position was not threatened for 2024. « There is no such clause, stated the team principal regarding a potential requirement of being the vice-world champion. However, Perez did not make it easy for himself by scoring zero points at home. During Q3, he finished 0.257 seconds behind the pole obtained by Charles Leclerc.

Perez struggling in a championship dominated by Red Bull.

Despite Christian Horner’s assertion, his team principal, Sergio Perez’s future may still be in jeopardy. In a season where Red Bull dominates the competition, especially with Max Verstappen, the Mexican driver only has a 20-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s championship. While Mercedes has made significant progress in recent races, the RB19 still seems to have an edge when looking at Verstappen’s performances. Despite this superiority, car number 11 is struggling in both qualifying and races, not just against Hamilton. Lando Norris has consistently finished ahead of Perez with a slower and less balanced car.

In a tightly contested championship with cars at similar levels, there is nothing that asserts that Red Bull would keep a Perez who makes such mistakes.

Christian Horner explained that the seat for the start of 2024 would still be his, however, Red Bull has already let go of drivers during the season. Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon were the ones to pay the price when the Austrian team was fighting for the top positions. Sergio Perez has never fought for the top positions in a highly competitive championship and consistently finished behind his teammate. In 2023, the driver experienced several collisions and retirements, resulting in zero points on three occasions (Monaco, Japan, Mexico).

This year, Red Bull won the championship “solely” with Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver has accumulated 491 points. The Mercedes team, second in the constructors’ standings, has 371 points. Thanks to Perez, Red Bull has earned 721 points, but the gap between the RB19 and its pursuers is enormous. In a tightly contested championship, Perez is not guaranteed to stay in the race car.

Where is he at mentally?

The big question lies in his state of mind and his confidence. Since the beginning of the season, Perez has been outperformed by his teammate and has faced numerous criticisms on social media, even from some members of his own team. Helmut Marko was not very kind a few months ago about the level of his driver. Furthermore, he hasn’t won a single Grand Prix since Baku (April 30th, 2023) in a car equivalent to the one Max Verstappen excels in. Perez has only scored 21 points in the last 5 races, compared to Lewis Hamilton’s 56.

The driver sporting number 11 also had difficult weekends overall (practice sessions, qualifying, sprints, and races). Perez regularly got eliminated in Q2 during the summer period and had several collisions. While the financial aspect is not Red Bull’s main concern, these consistent mistakes cost the driver time and positions.

Questioned about a potential mental renewal in the event of a P2 in the 2023 championship, Perez had declared: “I don’t think it will make a difference. If there is a difference, it will be in the way I achieve it. I want to achieve it with more wins this year, finishing the season strong and having a good momentum to approach the winter still believing that I can be a champion in the future, which is the ultimate goal. The easiest thing would be to give up everything, but that’s not me, that’s not who I am, and I won’t give up.”

The pressure in front of his audience/ the pressure when facing his audience.

Perez’s weekend underperformance may come from the pressure felt in front of his home crowd. In Mexico, the Red Bull driver is considered a national hero. Arriving in F1 in 2012, he is the first Mexican since Héctor Rebaque in 1981 to drive at this level.

His recent performances did not put him in the best position to calmly drive in front of his supporters. Checo certainly wanted to redeem himself and put on a show. He definitely took a big risk due to a lack of clarity fueled by his lack of confidence. His desire to do well and play for victory got the best of him. He lacked patience, hoping to energize the stands.

Non-stop rumors

Sergio Perez’s mind must be quite cluttered for several months now. The former Racing Point driver is constantly blamed for any mistake he makes. The world of F1 also contributes to fueling rumors. After each Grand Prix, everyone doubts his level and legitimacy to drive the second Red Bull. An anxiety-inducing atmosphere occupies him, and inevitably Perez is not completely impervious to this media pressure and social media.

The lack of stability among the second drivers at Red Bull contributes to this anxiety-inducing atmosphere. Until the 2024 season begins, no unexpected turn of events can be ruled out. Especially when a driver at AlphaTauri, who has once again become the main driver in the second half of the season, shows interesting performances.

Ricciardo’s performances

Daniel Ricciardo is certainly the biggest threat to Checo Perez. The Australian, who is the reserve driver for the Austrian team starting in 2023, has found a seat. Although an injury has prevented him from participating in more than four GPs at the moment, his race level is very impressive. Especially in the car that is currently ranked the lowest in the Constructors’ Championship. In Mexico, the 34-year-old driver had an incredible qualifying session, placing him 4th on the starting grid. On Sunday, his pace was very high, resulting in a 7th place finish, which is AlphaTauri’s best result in 2023.

Currently, Ricciardo has extended his contract with the Italian team until 2024. However, AlphaTauri remains the subsidiary team of Red Bull. A car swap between Ricciardo and Perez could possibly be considered. Pierre Gasly had experienced a similar situation when he returned to the Italian team after a few disappointing races with Red Bull.

Sergio Perez still has three Grand Prix races to showcase his talent to Red Bull and get back on track as the 2024 season approaches.