Sergio Perez Under Fresh Pressure From Red Bull Chief As Championship Slips Away

Sergio Perez faces mounting pressure from Red Bull team chief Christian Horner as the team's Formula 1 championship hopes diminish.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) during a press in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Sergio Perez finds himself under increased scrutiny from Red Bull Racing's team principal Christian Horner as McLaren extends its lead in the Constructors' Championship. The Mexican driver's underwhelming performance at the Singapore Grand Prix has added pressure.

During the Singapore Grand Prix, Perez struggled from the outset, being eliminated in Q2 and qualifying well behind his teammate Max Verstappen. His race performance mirrored this struggle as he initially gained three positions but could not maintain the momentum. He spent a significant portion of the race stuck behind Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, failing to make significant headway.

Whilst speaking to the media following the race, Horner commented, as quoted by Motorsport Week:

“Checo, he was stuck around Hulkenberg for basically 30 laps.

“Yeah, I mean, Checo had a good first lap. He qualified out of position, and then he just really struggled to overtake.

“He was struggling a little for traction in the areas where you want the traction out of Turn 3 and onto the back straight.

“But, yeah, you know, that was what he could manage today.”

The pressure on Perez intensified, especially as Red Bull’s situation grew more precarious. Despite Verstappen securing second place, McLaren’s drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri managed to clinch first and third-place finishes, respectively, cutting down Red Bull's lead significantly. Horner reiterated the importance of having both drivers performing at their peak to secure critical points.

“I think that we need to have two drivers firing on all cylinders.

“Checo had a good weekend last weekend [in Baku]. He had a tough weekend this weekend.

“We need to put some weekends together where you can see where McLaren are putting two drivers on the podium. It’s those big points that really make a difference.

“So, you know, we need to make sure that Checo goes as far off the field as we can get it, in terms of finding the right direction.”

Perez, reflecting on the race, admitted to struggling with tire management and overtaking. He explained:

 “In a way, yes [I am disappointed to now have made more progress].”

“I think also the strategy, looking at it, when you see where Carlos finished we probably lost an opportunity to make more progress and undercut more people.

“But once we went on a similar tyre age behind Nico, it was pretty much it.”

F1 2024 Constructors' Standings

1. McLaren - 516 points
2. Red Bull Racing - 475 points
3. Ferrari - 441 points
4. Mercedes - 329 points
5. Aston Martin - 86 points
6. VCARB - 34 points
7. Haas - 31 points
8. Williams - 16 points
9. Alpine - 13 points
10. Sauber - 0 points