Horner Hints at Perez Exit Before Season’s End

Red Bull faces challenging decisions over Sergio Perez’s future, as Christian Horner suggests possible changes before the season concludes.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, admitted that “tough decisions need to be made” regarding Sergio Perez’s future in Formula 1 after a lackluster Mexican Grand Prix.

Perez entered the weekend hoping that his home race would spark a turnaround in form, even aiming for victory. However, the Mexican’s prospects took a severe hit as he was eliminated in Q1 with the third-slowest time, leaving him 18th on the grid. Despite making some progress during the race, he finished last after a collision with Liam Lawson at Turn 5 caused significant damage to his RB20.

Horner revealed that the contact cost Perez “around 70 points” of downforce.

“Checo, unfortunately, started out of his grid position, so he received a five-second penalty for that. His first lap was good. His start was good. Then, he suffered damage with Liam, losing about 70 points of downforce with a hole in the sidepod and half of the floor missing. At that point, you’re effectively like a lame duck, and scoring points was never going to be possible.”

The question of the Mexican’s future is inevitably raised…

“Checo had another terrible weekend. Nothing went right for him this weekend. He knows that Formula 1 is a results business, and inevitably, when you’re not delivering results, the spotlight is on you.”

“When someone underperforms, of course, there is always scrutiny. As a team, we need both cars scoring points. That’s the nature of Formula 1.”

“The pressure on him is constant. It’s always there. From the team’s perspective, we’re working with him as hard as possible to try to support him.”

“We have done everything we can and will continue to do so in Brazil next weekend, but there comes a point where there’s not much more we can do.”

When asked if Perez would finish the season, with four races remaining, he declined to confirm, stating: “Look, as I just said, that scrutiny will always be there.”

“There comes a time when tough decisions have to be made. We are now third in the Constructors’ Championship.”

“Our focus is on trying to get back into a winning position, but it will be a significant challenge over the next four races.”