Sergio Pérez was scheduled to return to the paddock after a crash in Hungary. Photo: Getty Images/Ferenc Isza. view. They say that “death and taxes” are two certainties, but in Formula 1 racing in 2023, Max Verstappen won and Pérez lost.
He was again out of the game, this time in the first minutes of the first practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix. There were less than five corners on his first lap of the weekend and he called a red flag after crashing into the barriers.
After two wins in the first four rounds, his form plummeted. In the last five races, Pérez won the only podium and scored 51 points. During the same period, Verstappen scored 136 points winning every race.
Pérez now trails his teammate with a staggering 99 points after only 10 rounds. He failed to place in the top 10 in qualifying for five consecutive Grands Prix despite driving one of the greatest F1 cars ever made.
RED FLAG! 🚩
Sergio Perez is leaving the track! 😬 pic.twitter.com/YWrjoSmNFM
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 21, 2023
Maybe he's under pressure? Daniel Ricciardo's return to AlphaTauri means he has a driver who, if not breathing down his neck, is now in the rearview mirror. Former Red Bull driver Alex Albon has also rediscovered himself at Williams.
Red Bull's ruthlessness when it comes to hiring and firing drivers is well known. Ricciardo returned because Nyck de Vries was fired before he had even completed half of the season. Long incline runs are simply unacceptable.
On Thursday, Perez said he wasn't worried about the Aussie pushing him out because his fate was in his own hands. In fact, this is his biggest problem. Repeated mistakes like this generate more attention, pressure, and questions about his position outside, if not within, the team.
His mistake at the Hungaroring was serious by any measure. The Mexican had just started his first fast lap, but between turns four and five, his left tire sank into the grass. It was a risk he didn't have to take at the time and hints of a man trying too early to find too much to prove himself and regain some semblance of that form at the start of the season.
“I can't believe it,” he said over the command radio. The notoriously stern Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko was immediately shown on TV screens with his characteristic dismissive expression. Perez's problem is that his crash is too plausible and too common.
Red Bull engineers have a lot of work to do. Photo: Getty Images/Ferenc Isza
However, this time the problem is not so much the consequences of his mistake, but what it means. Despite the heavy impact and significant damage to his RB19, the team had enough time to fix his car in time for the second practice session. He didn't miss much of a meaningful run as the remainder of the first practice session was interrupted by rain with only 13 riders setting lap times. However, in the second dry session, he finished 18th, 0.7 seconds behind Verstappen in 11th, with the fewest laps of any driver.
His worries should not be limited to just this weekend. Although Perez has a contract until the end of next season and is still supported by the team, Perez has reason to worry about his place next to Verstappen.
Given the advantage of Red Bull this year, the team does not need to rush to any decision. Even with their sometimes cutthroat approach, it's hard to imagine Ricciardo showing enough – let's not forget McLaren sacked him for lamentable inefficiency – to be promoted along with Verstappen before the season ends. Perez definitely needs to find something in the last 12 races. Starting to finish second behind Verstappen would be a good start, and that would probably be enough to keep his place.
On the plus side, Ricciardo probably has a decent run to prove himself before any off-season decision is made, depending on how good each rider's form is from now until December. If Red Bull waits, Ricciardo may not be the only option. Yes, other drivers have contracts, but they can be terminated.
Perez's form ironically begins to resemble Riccardo's last year at McLaren. Although the Australian had fewer accidents, the gap from his partner grew and grew. He went to each weekend with a margin, trying to find a huge piece of performance in various ways even before the wheel was turned. This made him look like a broken figure. Perez needs to get out of this downward spiral as soon as possible.
Recent Comments