Sergio Perez’s future in Formula 1 looks uncertain, sparking intense debate.
- Perez’s performance has significantly lagged behind his teammate Max Verstappen.
- Question marks linger despite Perez’s recent two-year contract extension with Red Bull.
- A string of disappointing races and technical issues are adding to the scrutiny.
- Serious doubts are emerging about his ability to stay competitive in F1.
Sergio Perez’s current situation in Formula 1 is worrying many fans and experts. He’s been consistently slower than his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen. Davide Valsecchi recently warned, “this is not that gap” which guarantees a driver’s future.
Despite signing a fresh two-year extension with Red Bull, Perez has seen his performance deteriorate. His average qualifying deficit to Verstappen has ballooned to 0.629 seconds. And at the Red Bull Ring, it hit a worrying 0.888 seconds.
Perez hasn’t seen a podium finish in the last six races. He even crashed out of two of them. In contrast, Verstappen has already secured seven wins this season. The disparity is hard to ignore and is raising questions about Red Bull’s decision to extend Perez’s contract.
In the recent Grand Prix, Perez finished two places behind Verstappen, despite the latter’s crash. Perez’s setback was attributed to a hole in his sidepod acting as an “air brake,” a detail revealed by team boss Christian Horner.
Valsecchi, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, openly questioned Perez’s future with Red Bull. He noted that although he once viewed Perez as a solid driver, being teammates with a world champion like Verstappen can turn into a “nightmare.”
Julianne Cerasoli, a Brazilian journalist, also commented that Perez’s performance declined significantly after a strong start at the beginning of the year. “Something just doesn’t click for him after May,” she said.
Currently, Perez trails Verstappen by 119 points in the Drivers’ standings. This poor showing has intensified the scrutiny on him, as more analysts express doubts about his ability to be competitive in F1 much longer.
Time is running out for Sergio Perez to prove he belongs in Formula 1.
