F1 News: Martin Brundle On Sergio Perez's Red Bull Turmoil - 'Must Be Painful'

Sergio Perez faces significant challenges and potential replacement at Red Bull amid declining performance and the dominance of teammate Max Verstappen.

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) of Team Mexico waves to the crowd during a fan forum before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Sergio Perez's future at Red Bull is facing increased uncertainty as the team is set to hold meetings this week about the future driver line-ups of both of its teams. Former F1 driver and current Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle has branded the Mexican driver's predicament as "purgatory," drawing a parallel to the struggles faced by another former Red Bull driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

Despite signing a two-year contract in June, he faces an uncertain future due to a significant decline in performance. After a strong start, his form dwindled, resulting in a failure to secure any podium finishes post-April's Chinese Grand Prix. This performance gap was evident in the points standings, where teammate Max Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive World Championship, leaving Perez trailing far behind in eighth.

Analyzing the situation during the Sky Sports broadcast, Brundle explained:

“I feel the same way about Sergio as I did about Daniel Ricciardo, actually.

“I have the utmost respect for the person and the driver and the victories he’s had and some of the great overtakes and all the things we’ve seen Sergio do.

“Sometimes in subpar cars, as well, he’s won races without the fastest car on the track. Total respect.

“But I’ll be slightly relieved when it’s over. It must be purgatory for him at the moment.

“He’s lost his mojo, he’s lost his way and all the pressure that’s being heaped on that, it must be [difficult].

“To turn up to the track every day must be painful.”

Brundle also claims that Red Bull is paying the price of having such a strong talent with Max Verstappen on the team. He added:

“Red Bull are paying the price for having the brilliance of Max Verstappen in the team. They don’t really have the obvious solution.”

It has been heavily rumored that VCARB driver Liam Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo in the latter stages of the 2024 season, will likely take the spot next to Verstappen in 2025. Perez has strongly denied all rumors throughout the year pointing to his replacement. However, whilst speaking to the media in Abu Dhabi, the Red Bull driver explained:

“We’re going to be talking in the coming days and we will discuss what the situation is from both parties and see if we are able to reach an agreement.

“If not, like I said, I’ve got a contract for next year.”