F1 News: Former Driver Sends Warning To Sergio Perez - "Would Be Worried And Very Uncomfortable"

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has sent a warning to Sergio Perez as uncertainty over his future with Red Bull increases.

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has sent a warning to Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, stating that he would be "worried and very uncomfortable" in his position. 

The Mexican driver finds himself 125 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen who is currently leading the drivers' championship with 314 points. 

There has been a huge amount of speculation regarding Perez's future with the Austrian team and despite claims from team chief Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko that his position is safe, there have been multiple rumours of Perez losing his seat. Many believe that the return of Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri is to prepare the Australian driver to take over Perez's seat should he not find suitable improvements in the second half of the season. 

Speaking about the situation during a recent interview with OLBG, Herbert commented:

“It’s alarming for Perez. You don’t want to be that far away from your teammate for sure.

“If I was Perez, I’d be worried and very uncomfortable.

“Verstappen is very happy with the situation because he’s not under pressure or being challenged in any way, but Red Bull know they’ll need someone that will be consistently at the top when the other teams get more competitive.”

Going on to comment on the rumours of Perez leaving the team, Herbert considered the replacement options. He continued:

“Who do you replace Perez with?

"They could look at Lando Norris - I don't know if he can get out of his contract or if there's a performance clause.

“I don't see why Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz would like to leave Ferrari.

“I know there are some frustrations but there's a big risk factor to consider when it comes to joining Red Bull because Verstappen is there, he's not an easy person to go up against.”

Herbert concluded by confirming that Perez needs to find "that extra speed" to be more consistent against Verstappen. He added:

“He might think he’s done a good job in qualifying and they put the screen in front of you and you think 'oh, god I'm still miles off - what do I need to do?'

“We're halfway through the season and he's still not able to find that extra speed, there may be certain races when he can, but he can't find the consistency like Verstappen. Only Perez can turn things around.”