- Pérez still after the summer break in Red Bull
Sergio Pérez will not have to vacate his cockpit at the world champion team Red Bull after all. Despite the persistent poor performances of the 34-year-old Mexican, the Formula 1 team is sticking with him after the summer break. Team principal Christian Horner has informed the employees at the Milton Keynes factory about this, as reported by the Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf". A Red Bull spokesperson confirmed this report to the German Press Agency.
"Checo remains a Red Bull driver despite recent speculation," Horner said in his speech: "We are looking forward to seeing him deliver his performances on the tracks where he has done well before." The new season will resume after the summer break of the motorsport's premier class on August 25 in Zandvoort, the home race of Pérez's teammate Max Verstappen.
In the fight for the team title, Pérez could become a problem
The fact that Red Bull is continuing to trust Pérez is somewhat surprising. Horner and Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko had often publicly criticized his performances in recent weeks. Pérez himself appeared determined but also seemed rattled.
In the championship standings, he is currently only in seventh place with 131 points. Three-time world champion Verstappen leads the classification with 277 points. Above all, in the fight for the constructors' title, which decides the distribution of income in Formula 1, Pérez's weak performances could become a problem for Red Bull's attempt to defend their title.
According to a report by the British BBC, there will also be no personnel changes at Red Bull's second team. Both Daniel Ricciardo from Australia and the Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda will continue to race for the Racing Bulls after the summer break. Both had also speculated about a promotion if Pérez were not allowed to continue.
I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Sergio Pérez's recent performances have been less than impressive. Despite this, I'm not going to lie, I'm relieved that Checo will continue with Red Bull after speculation of his departure.
