McLaren CEO Zak Brown weighs in on Red Bull’s decision to keep Sergio Perez, noting their ongoing driver challenges.
- Despite a new contract, Sergio Perez’s performance continues to spark debate and speculation about his future.
- Perez’s recent drop in form has emerged as a concern, drawing criticism from Red Bull leadership.
- Surprisingly, Perez remains with Red Bull after talks, as speculation about his replacement grew.
- Brown mentions McLaren’s stable driver lineup with Norris and Piastri as a sharp contrast to Red Bull’s situation.
Sergio Perez, despite signing a new multi-year contract with Red Bull before the Canadian Grand Prix, finds himself under scrutiny due to a noticeable decline in performance. This downturn has made his position within the team a subject of speculation and heightened discussions about his future role.
Red Bull intensified the buzz around Perez’s future by emphasizing the need for two strong drivers as they aim to clinch the Constructors’ Championship for the third year running. Perez started strong in Belgian GP qualifying, securing a position on the front row, but then fell to P8 during the race. Following race winner George Russell’s disqualification, Perez moved up to P7, but this didn’t shield him from criticism by senior advisor Helmut Marko and team principal Christian Horner.
Even with widespread expectations pointing towards Perez losing his seat, Red Bull announced he would stay on post-summer break. Meanwhile, McLaren CEO Zak Brown pointed out Red Bull’s continuing “driver challenges,” noting that McLaren enjoys a balanced duo with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who both consistently perform well, with Norris sitting P2 in the Drivers’ Championship on 199 points and Piastri close behind in fourth with 167 points.
When queried by Sky Sports F1 about his views on Red Bull’s choice to keep Perez, Brown recognized Perez as an “excellent” driver but highlighted his current form issues. He alluded to Red Bull’s predicament, having one leading driver and another ranked seventh in the championship. Brown expressed relief about McLaren’s lack of similar “driver challenges,” confident in his team’s current lineup.
Looking forward, Brown sees both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship titles as targets for McLaren, given the tight competition. He stated the importance of having both drivers excel to maximize points and secure higher positions in both championships. As McLaren stands close in the race for the Constructors’ title, they aim to challenge Red Bull’s dominance despite the current 78-point gap behind Max Verstappen, the championship leader.
The F1 2024 season picks up again with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where teams will continue to battle for the top spot.
Zak Brown’s observations underscore the ongoing challenges within Red Bull, contrasting with McLaren’s steady progress.
