Christian Horner warns Sergio Perez, he’s on thin ice

Race after race, Sergio Perez is struggling. Already facing the dominance of his teammate, who is racking up victories and heading towards a third world championship title. But he also faces numerous criticisms. Despite being behind the wheel of the best car on the grid, the Mexican driver can’t keep up with Max Verstappen.

The qualifications of the Japanese Grand Prix once again show it. Checo Perez is once again relegated to nearly a second behind during the fast lap exercise. Even though he is more competitive in the race, the gap in the world championship is significant. 151 points separate the two Red Bull drivers.

This difference between the two men is starting to annoy Christian Horner, the boss of the team. The Brit finally admits it, Sergio Perez’s future with the Red Bull team is uncertain.

« At Red Bull Racing, we want the two best available drivers. We have a long-term contract with Max, Checo’s contract is ending at the end of the 2024 season, so we want to see and explore all options. Checo is currently on the hot seat, and it’s obvious that he will want to extend his contract », Christian Horner revealed.

Fierce competition for 2025

While it seems unlikely that Red Bull would terminate the Mexican’s contract before its expiry, several drivers are starting to knock on the door. First, Yuki Tsunoda, who hopes for a promotion within the Red Bull program. Then, Daniel Ricciardo, wanting to join the Austrian team as soon as possible. But also Liam Lawson, who, in four races behind the wheel of the AlphaTauri, showed the potential to become a regular driver.

« He [Perez] is doing everything in his power to justify that he deserves a full-time seat, but there’s a problem with the space. We will see how Daniel performs, how Yuki performs, and see what Liam is capable of in the role of test and reserve driver. »