Sergio Perez had a tough time at Spa as he lagged behind teammate Max Verstappen during practice. Here are the key moments from the Belgian Grand Prix weekend:
Sergio Perez had a tough start to what might be his last weekend as a Red Bull driver. He revealed his car felt ‘quite different’ compared to Max Verstappen’s.
Perez’s contract could be in jeopardy. If he trails Verstappen by more than 100 points after this weekend, Red Bull might drop him entirely. Currently, the gap stands at 141 points.
In practice, Perez lagged behind Verstappen by 0.957 seconds in FP1, and the gap widened to 1.027 seconds in the second session. Perez ended the day in ninth place, six spots behind Verstappen.
Verstappen is facing a 10-place grid penalty, increasing the pressure on Perez to lead Red Bull’s efforts this weekend. Perez stated he was ‘playing around’ with his car’s setup, gathering a lot of data for improvement.
Rain is expected on Saturday, adding another challenge for Perez, who has struggled in recent rainy qualifying sessions. ‘I think it’s going to be quite an interesting weekend,’ he said, acknowledging the potential for more surprises.
If Perez is replaced, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson are both in the running to become Verstappen’s new teammate. Ricciardo, a former Red Bull driver, and Lawson, who has garnered attention for his performance, are strong contenders.
It remains to be seen whether Sergio Perez can secure his spot in the Red Bull seat beyond this weekend.
Source: Planetf1
