(L to R): Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing with team mate Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing. 07.10.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Sprint Day.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner admits that Sergio Perez’s ongoing slump means it doesn’t currently have two equally matched drivers like its Formula 1 rivals.
Perez endured a disastrous weekend in Qatar, inhering three penalties for track limit infringements that stymied his charge from the back of the grid, leaving him 10th.
Perez had been unable to progress to Q3 in qualifying for the eighth time this year on Friday. A three-car tangle in Saturday’s Sprint relegated him to the back for the grand prix and handed the title to Max Verstappen.
Asked whether Perez now needs an arm around his shoulder rather than a dressing down, Horner said: “Yeah, traditionally that’s been the best way of supporting him. We’re fully behind him. We know what he’s capable of, so that’s the form that we want to find.”
Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A523 and Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing RB19 crashed out of the race. 07.10.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Sprint Day.
While Red Bull secured the Constructors’ Championship with a record six rounds to spare in Japan, the efforts of Verstappen alone would still be enough to top the table.
The Dutchman notched his 14th victory of the campaign on Sunday at the Lusail circuit, placing Perez, who has won only twice, sitting a hefty 209 points in his wake.
With both titles already sealed, Horner has addressed that he wants Perez to finish second to ensure Red Bull lock out the top two positions for the first time in its history.
However, Horner concedes that Perez’s recent form highlights that Red Bull can’t rely on both drivers to deliver in the same way its nearest competitors have been able to.
Perez’s troubles paved the way for McLaren to score consecutive double podiums, with rookie Oscar Piastri usurping team-mate Lando Norris throughout the Qatar weekend.
“I think with a car like we have he’s probably putting that pressure on himself,” Horner stated.
“The most important thing for us is winning both the championships. We’ve done that, so what’s the next best thing after that would be to have your drivers first and second.
“You can see Mercedes have a pair, McLaren have a pair, Ferrari have a pair, that are quite tight between their respective drivers. We had that at the start of the year but as the season’s gone on it’s become more variant. We just need to get Checo back to the back form he’s capable of.”
Thankfully for Perez, Lewis Hamilton’s Turn 1 incident with Mercedes team-mate George Russell ensured that the Mexican retains a 30-point buffer in second place.
Keyword: Horner: Red Bull can’t rely on competitive ‘pair’ like F1 rivals