F1 News: Helmut Marko Fires Warning To Sergio Perez - 'It's A Problem'

Saajan Jogia | Jul 21, 2024

19th placed qualifier Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2024 in Northampton, England. / Getty Images

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has offered an ultimatum regarding Sergio Perez's future in the team after the nasty Hungarian GP qualifying crash that caused the red flag to come out. Addressing the recent slump in performance and Saturday's crash, Marko confirmed that "there will be a meeting after Spa" about Perez's performance.

Recent speculation ahead of the Hungarian GP weekend suggested that Perez has two opportunities to prove himself worthy of the Red Bull contract extension he secured in June- the races in Hungary and Belgium. The summer break will then be used by the team to confirm their decision.

However, despite a promising start during Free Practice, Perez lost control of his RB20 in qualifying and suffered a significant crash at the Hungaroring. This marks the second consecutive race weekend where Perez crashed, resulting in a start from the bottom five.

His future with Red Bull seems bleak considering the points difference between him and his teammate Max Verstappen, which has stretched to 137 points. Marko emphasized the difference, stating that points matter when handing out bonuses to team members. Speaking about the meeting at Spa, he told Viaplay:

“I mean, in the end, everything is about performance, in every sport, and especially in Formula 1.

“So, I don’t want to go into any details of contracts or whatever.

“There will be a meeting after Spa.”

When asked if the recent talks about Perez will translate into action, He said:

“I told you, we will sit down after Spa and go through the whole problem.

“It’s a problem. Our staff get bonuses only from where our position is in the Constructors’ Championship. So it’s a very important motivation factor.

“And yeah, Checo didn’t make too many points the last couple of races.”

Team principal Christian Horner added his views, stating that the team cannot "run on one leg". He said:

“I do think I have shown to be very patient, but this was really the last thing he and the team needed.

“We now have to get everything back together, fix the car and see what we can get out of it during the race.

“Any discussions we have with him will of course take place internally and not in front of the media. But of course, we cannot run on one leg.”