Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has provided an update on Sergio Perez’s future with the team, stating that the Mexican driver doesn’t need to worry about his Red Bull seat for now. Marko emphasized that Perez’s position is secure because there is currently no one within Red Bull’s ranks who could replace him.
Perez’s struggles continued in qualifying for the British Grand Prix, as he failed to make it into Q3 and qualified in P16. This marked his fifth consecutive early exit and his third Q1 failure of the season. Perez had hoped for a clear track after a red flag late in Q1 but ended up waiting for nearly nine minutes at the end of the pit lane, resulting in compromised tyre temperatures.
Marko expressed his disappointment with Perez’s performance, stating that the inconsistency between Perez being in 16th place and his teammate Max Verstappen leading the field is not ideal. He highlighted that struggling in changing conditions has been a weakness for Perez in the past and is now becoming a common occurrence.
While Marko expects an improved performance from Perez in the race, he also acknowledged that Perez’s races have generally been quite good. With the overtaking opportunities at Silverstone and the DRS advantage of the Red Bull cars, Marko believes Perez has the chance to score points.
However, Marko clarified that Perez’s seat is not in immediate jeopardy, as he currently has an advantage over reserve driver Nyck de Vries. Marko stated that there is no need for any action at the moment, and there is no suitable replacement within the Red Bull ranks.
In conclusion, while Perez’s recent qualifying performances have been underwhelming, his seat at Red Bull is not under immediate threat. Marko expects improvement from Perez and hopes to see him score points at the British Grand Prix.
