Something is clearly not clicking for Sergio Perez at Red Bull. On the one hand, the RB19 car completely dominates races when driven by Max Verstappen. But when the car is driven by Checo, the contrast in results is day and night! Adding to his already underwhelming weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix 2023, Checo only managed to earn one point.

While he did have a strong start to the F1 2023 season, his current performances are not doing him any favors! Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and motorsport adviser, Helmut Marko, have had enough as they send a mild warning.

Sergio Perez and his struggles at the Qatar Grand Prix

Perez’s experience during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix weekend was a complete disaster. He ended up in thirteenth place in Q2 of the Qualifying session and unfortunately got involved in a crash during the Sprint race. Following his crash, he had no option but to take a penalty, which handed him a pitlane start.

On Sunday, Max Verstappen led the race in car RB19, while Perez struggled and ended up in 10th place. He also incurred penalties for leaving the track, resulting in a 15-second penalty. Helmut Marko, the Red Bull motorsport advisor, wasted no time in addressing Perez’s struggles. He stressed the importance of helping Perez escape a harmful cycle of negativity. Marko further pointed out that despite glimpses of pace, the frequent penalties were hindering Perez’s progress.

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Marko also pointed out the significance of the battle for second place in the driver’s championship. “Checo has to deliver now” he stated as quoted by Motorsport-Total. Clearly signaling a message that it’s now or never for him. Especially when considering that the RB19 has comfortably been the strongest car on the field, throughout 2023.

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To make sure that Perez understands that he’s walking on a thin line, Marko added further comments regarding the #2 Red Bull seat. While the team plans to stick with him for 2024. The presence of talented drivers within the Red Bull network (Daniel Ricciardo), including reserve driver Liam Lawson, has to be considered. As they add an element of unpredictability to Perez’s tenure. Considering that this is not the first time Helmut has warned Perez, the patience at the Red Bull camp is likely to run out.

In the race for second place, can Sergio Perez keep pace?

Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, was also not happy. He didn’t mince words, “Checo had a shocking race.” Horner clearly did not hold back his anger as he expressed his disappointment in not being able to widen the gap between Checo and Lewis. That too when considering that the seven-time world champion did not even score any points!

To add further to his misfortune, McLaren now quite comfortably has the second-strongest car on the grid. And top of that, both their drivers are in-form, and show no sign of stopping. As if dealing with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell wasn’t enough. He now has to battle Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as well. With such drivers ready to capitalize at any moment, the second place at the driver’s championship is seriously under threat.

With there being plenty of previous warnings towards Perez, he desperately needs to end the 2023 season on a high. It’s normal for athletes to have times when their performance isn’t at its best. But unluckily for Checo, the world of F1 is a very cut-throat business. And to add more to his misery, Red Bull is infamously notorious for being impatient and harsh, regarding their #2 driver.

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Do you think Sergio Perez will finish second in the drivers’ standings? Or will the Mercedes and McLaren drivers make life even more difficult for him?