Many F1 drivers would give up seats in their current teams to secure a coveted Red Bull seat. Though the 2nd seat is much sought after, it has proved to be ill-fated as well. Sergio Perez is the third “second driver” for Red Bull since Daniel Ricciardo left the team in 2018. But he now finds himself in the place that two of his immediate Red Bull predecessors did.

Perez did a good job of being Max Verstappen’s wingman in 2021 and 2022. And he performed well enough to bring the Constructors’ championship back to Red Bull. It looked like the 2nd seat curse had been broken. But since he started eyeing the Drivers’ championship this year, it looks like the pressure got to him. Perez faltered in the last two races and since then, Daniel Ricciardo’s chances to replace him increased. But Verstappen’s dream to team up with Ricciardo again goes down the drain as former F1 racer Johnny Herbert sidelines Ricciardo while naming the best contenders to replace Perez.

In an interview with OLBG, Herbert said, “If you want more competitiveness to Verstappen, you either need Russell, or Hamilton or Charles Leclerc, or maybe Lando Norris. As much as Sergio showed in the early part of the season that he was more than capable of mixing it with Max, there was then a point that he wasn’t.”

After listing the best contenders for the 2nd seat, he zeroed down on Lando Norris. He said, “Lando Norris has a long-term contract with McLaren and I don’t know if he has a performance clause in it to move from McLaren. I think it would be a good move for Red Bull. It would add positivity to the team and I think he is more than capable of being able to deal with that position [at Red Bull].”

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Though Perez might be under fire from critics, Red Bull is supporting the driver in this rough patch.

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko Support Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez looks to have lost his consistent performing streak. Though Red Bull is known to be a bit harsh with their 2nd driver, Boss Christian Horner and Helmut Marko are in full support of Perez. Horner believes that when Perez needs to get rid of the unnecessary pressure, he is putting on himself. 

Once he does that, he would be able to focus on his racing again. Marko even assured that Perez’s seat was not in danger. He said, as quoted by F1insider, “Sergio’s place has never been in jeopardy and will not be in the future. It is an important building block in achieving our goals for this year.”

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Verstappen has always put his teammates under pressure by outperforming them on most occasions. Perez is the only driver after Ricciardo who has matched Verstappen on some occasions. If Perez wants to find his consistency back, it will only happen when the comparison within the team ends.