Since his series of top finishes during the initial races, Perez has been in a terrible state of form. The team even offered him a contract extension during his slump, but it proved to be ineffective. His performances have drastically declined, leading fans to call for his removal from the team. On the other hand, insiders have described the 34-year-old’s situation as complex and believe that he will not improve his subpar form anytime soon.
Red Bull enlisted Sergio Perez in an effort to resolve their issues with the second driver in 2021. Initially, the Mexican driver performed as expected, but his performance quickly declined in the 2023 season. Despite starting the season with high ambitions of challenging for the championship, Perez has found himself battling with slower drivers.
This peculiar situation has put the Milton Keynes-based team in a difficult position in the championship. However, they have expressed their continued faith in Perez by acknowledging that his struggles will persist for some time.
Nevertheless, Guenther Steiner believes that Perez’s problems are solely his own as a driver. He remains hopeful that the Mexican driver will prove the rumors wrong and secure his place in the championship.
Perez, a former six-time race winner, had been highly regarded in the Formula 1 paddock for a decade. However, his sudden decline in performance caught everyone off guard, leading to speculation about Red Bull intentionally sabotaging him.
Steiner, however, dismissed these rumors as false. He explained that in the current era of Formula 1, teams cannot hide upgrades or advantages from one side of the garage to the other. Transparency has become a crucial aspect of the championship, rendering such speculations completely baseless.
Despite the team’s assurance that Perez will remain with them, there is no guarantee that his position will be secure if a higher-ranked driver joins Red Bull in the championship standings. Therefore, the upcoming races will be crucial for Perez to salvage his fading Formula 1 career.
Photo from Guenther Steiner Instagram
