Due to the recent power dynamics within the Red Bull team, there is a lot of pressure on Sergio Perez. His teammate Max Verstappen was recently crowned as the third World Champion at the tender age of 26, at the Sprint Race during the Qatar Grand Prix.
This led to all eyes turning to Perez who was struggling to deliver average performance, if not the best at qualifying. He has been the soft target of the media and team advisor Helmut Marko, who believes he needs a team switch.
Recently, during an interview, Marko said, “You mustn’t forget, I brought him to the team back then. But this is simply Verstappen’s fate, he is suffering now. That was already the case with Gasly, after a weak performance at the Red Bull Ring, he was already lapped at the next race in Hungary“.
When questioned about the internal conflict within the Austrian outfit. Ever since the downfall in his performance began in the early days of the season, Perez’s career has been at risk ever since.
Helmut Marko says Checo Perez needs a “change in teams” 😳 #f1 #formula1 #f1news #helmutmarko #checoperez #redbullracing #fanamp pic.twitter.com/PDlrLZMki1
— FanAmp – The Home for F1 Fans (@Join_FanAmp) October 12, 2023
Their sister team, AlphaTauri had major reforms in the 2023 season alone. From firing the Dutch driver Nyck de Vries mid-season to hiring Red Bull’s reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo as the replacement, they have done it all.
Although they have announced their driver lineup for 2024, owing to the recent events, there is a sense of uncertainty for Sergio Perez who is at a high risk of getting demoted.
Sergio Perez shuts down F1 retirement rumors
The speculations and rumors about Sergio Perez announcing his retirement from Formula 1 have been spreading like wildfire across social media platforms.
This gossip, according to which Perez would make this disclosure during the forthcoming Grand Prix in Mexico, has gathered a lot of support. It’s a surprise development for the driver who has had trouble keeping up with Max Verstappen since the fifth race in Miami this season.
Carlos Sainz outscored Sergio Perez in Qatar.
Carlos Sainz also did not participate in Sunday’s race. pic.twitter.com/ANOXR7W7h8
— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) October 9, 2023
The Mexican finally replied back to the ongoing rumors and said the retirement claims are “a load of nonsense“. Earlier on Perez made a disclosure during an interactive session with fans where he said, “I want to keep going, at least until 2026 when the change of rules is in effect, and experience how much can I enjoy with this new set of rules. From there on, decide what will come for me in the future.
The team principal of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, recognized Sergio Perez’s current challenges and described them as being on a little bit of a downward trajectory which has put all his expectations of having a stance at winning the championship title to bed.
He does, however, have some faith that Perez will regain his optimal performance for the duration of the 2023 racing season.