Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has admitted he didn’t believe Red Bull Racing would retain Sergio Perez after the 2024 summer break, but he still doesn’t feel Perez can perform.
In an interview with RacingNews365, Guenther Steiner was candid in sharing his thoughts about Sergio Perez — including his shock that Red Bull announced the Mexican racer would continue with the team after the summer break. Steiner expressed his surprise, saying, “I said live on German TV ‘I don’t think we’ll see Checo after the summer break,’” emphasizing that many in the Formula 1 community shared this sentiment. Steiner added, “All the messages we got in Belgium at the weekend from Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were along the lines of ‘we need to make some changes,’ and that’s how I took it.”
Steiner did not mince words when it came to evaluating Perez’s performance, indicating that it was clear the driver was underperforming. As Perez’s season faced a downturn starting at the Monaco Grand Prix, many pundits assumed the driver would be removed from Red Bull; after all, it was understood that there were performance clauses in Perez’s contract that would have allowed Red Bull to drop him after the Belgian Grand Prix. Though Perez took home seventh in Belgium, it was not enough to satisfy those performance clauses. Despite this, Perez remains with the team.
Drawing a comparison to Daniel Ricciardo’s tenure at McLaren, Steiner noted that Perez’s situation was akin to the Australian driver’s struggles. “[Perez] is clearly in a situation where he cannot get out, a bit like Daniel,” Steiner noted. Despite such challenges, Steiner believes that Red Bull is aware of what they are doing by retaining Perez. Steiner also admitted that he had considered signing the Mexican racer to the Haas team, which underscores his recognition of Perez’s talents despite the current challenges.
Even though Red Bull has confirmed that it will retain Perez, there is still reason to believe the remainder of 2024 will be an uphill battle for Checo. With ongoing scrutiny of his performance and the team’s high expectations, Perez’s continuation with Red Bull seems fraught with challenges. However, Steiner’s insights suggest that while Perez’s circumstances are difficult, there is still confidence in his abilities as a driver.
Sergio Perez’s journey with Red Bull continues to be a contentious issue within the Formula 1 community. Guenther Steiner’s remarks highlight the complexity of Perez’s situation, drawing parallels to Daniel Ricciardo’s previous struggles. As the 2024 season progresses, Perez faces an uphill battle to prove his worth amidst ongoing scrutiny.
