Sergio Perez, who kicked off the 2023 Formula 1 season with two impressive victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, has faced a challenging season marked by a series of setbacks. His hopes of contending for the championship have dwindled as his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen, clinched his third consecutive World Championship title with a significant lead of 251 points. Perez now finds himself in danger of losing his second-place position in the Drivers’ standings to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who is a mere 20 points behind with three races remaining.
The Mexican driver endured another frustrating race at his home Grand Prix, where he suffered his second retirement in the last four races due to a collision with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Adding to the speculation surrounding his future, Perez was outqualified by Daniel Ricciardo, who has been linked as a potential replacement, possibly as soon as next season. Ricciardo, in only his fourth race back since rejoining the grid in July, secured a seventh-place finish, marking his best result in a year.
Despite these developments, Sergio Perez’s father, Antonio Perez, remains resolute in his belief that both the team and driver are committed to each other for the 2024 season. He emphasized the strong bond between the Perez family and the Red Bull family, stating, “Of course, Checo will be driving with Red Bull next year.”
Antonio Perez also spoke highly of his son’s mindset, referring to it as a “Champion’s mentality.” He acknowledged the collaborative spirit within the Red Bull team and commended Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s longstanding advisor, for his role in the process. Marko recently stirred controversy by insinuating that Perez’s background may have contributed to his struggles against Verstappen in 2023 and made a geographical error in his description of the driver, causing backlash from fans in Mexico.
However, Marko personally apologized to Perez before the subsequent race in Singapore, and Perez, the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history with six Grand Prix victories, downplayed the incident. Antonio Perez praised Marko, stating, “He [Marko] is the best teacher for Sergio.”
The commitment between Sergio Perez and Red Bull remains steadfast, with an eye toward the 2024 season and the pursuit of success in Formula 1.
