Sergio Perez’s performance in Hungary saw him return to the points, but Red Bull remains cautious about his future. Team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko have made it clear they need more consistent results from Perez before making any long-term decisions.
Perez delivered what Horner described as his strongest race since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. Starting from 16th position, the Mexican driver finished seventh, demonstrating strong race pace. However, this performance follows a troubling trend, as Perez was knocked out in Q1 for the second consecutive F1 weekend due to a crash.
Horner emphasized that Red Bull requires drivers who perform consistently throughout the entire weekend, not just during the race. “Yeah, that’s something that has to change,” he remarked, highlighting Perez’s qualifying struggles. Reflecting on the Hungarian GP, Horner noted, “That was probably Checo’s strongest race since China, I would say. So, he should take some confidence out of the race. If he had qualified more in position, you could see he would have been in a much more competitive position.”
Marko added that Red Bull’s plan to assess the driver lineup for both its F1 teams will commence immediately after the Belgian Grand Prix. “Perez drove a very good race, and the strategy worked well,” he told ORF. He further explained that discussions regarding the lineup evaluation would take place in England with Horner.
Perez himself acknowledged the need to improve his qualifying performance, despite taking encouragement from his race pace in Hungary. “I think I just have to take the positives. We had a very strong Friday, we had a strong race in terms of pace – the pace is there, so that is a positive,” he reflected. Perez attributed his qualifying mishap to misfortune but promised to avoid repeating such errors. He remarked, “I think we were just pushing out there at the wrong time, but it could have happened to anyone. The track just got wetter in Turn 8. I will learn from those errors, but they can happen to anyone.”
Despite Perez’s optimism, the reality is that Red Bull’s patience may be wearing thin. Consistency is critical in F1, and while Perez’s race pace can be formidable, his qualifying performance needs significant improvement. The upcoming races, including the Belgian Grand Prix, will be crucial for Perez to demonstrate he can deliver under pressure.
Sergio Perez’s future with Red Bull hinges on his ability to deliver consistent performance throughout an F1 weekend. His strong race pace in Hungary offers hope, but without improved qualifying results, his seat remains uncertain. The evaluation following the Belgian Grand Prix will be pivotal in determining his fate.
