Perez's Future Depends Performances In Relation To Verstappen Says Horner

Monday, 01 January 2024 at 05:00

Christian Horner stated in a recent interview that Sergio Perez's contract with Red Bull beyond 2024 purely depends on his performance in comparison to Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races of the season and achieved his third consecutive title in 2023, while Sergio Perez, at one point, struggled to defend his second position in the Drivers' Championship.

Christian Horner recently pointed to two "brutal" races that he thought mentally broke the Mexican driver. On the other hand, the team principal still believes in the 33-year-old. He told Sky Sports.

"Checo is a very capable racer and being Max's team-mate is a very tough gig. I think he has shown real mental strength to be able to cope with that."

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Perez's average qualifying position in 2023 has been 9,09, which is far worse than expected from the driver sitting in the dominant car.

Struggling in qualifying sessions meant that Perez quite often started too far down the grid to compete for the podiums, as he had too many cars to overtake.

"The area he needs to focus on is Saturday; making sure that his average qualifying is a lot closer to Max. We need him starting further up the grid, particularly if the grid is going to converge. We can't afford to have a lot of cars between him and Max."

In 2024, we might see other teams edging closer to Red Bull and if the number 11 driver fails to deliver in qualifying sessions, it might complicate the Constructors' Championship fight for the team.

"2024 is a big year. A lot of drivers' contracts are coming to a close. We've got great talent in our own stable. Of course, the car is very attractive for other drivers to want to be in."

Almost every single driver on the grid would love to sit in the dominant car and so there is quite a big interest in the Red Bull seat after season 2024.

On the other hand, the Verstappen - Perez duo has worked great for the teams so far, so if the Mexican driver can get the second position in the Drivers' Championship again next season, Red Bull might be interested in extending his stay with the team.

"If he does well, we'll want to keep him for 2025, but it's all about how he performs in relation to his team-mate."