Ex-Formula 1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle is convinced that Red Bull will offer Sergio Perez “support” instead of axing him, following the Mexican’s recent poor form.
Since finishing second at the Miami Grand Prix, Perez has been a shadow of the driver he was at the start of the season.
Checo was hailed as a title contender not that long ago, as a result of him having won two of the opening four races.
However, his biggest challenge now isn’t fighting for the title, it’s defending second in the Drivers’ Championship from a rapidly approaching Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
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In the past three races, Perez has failed to make Q3 or finish on the rostrum.
On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Max Verstappen finds himself on a four-race winning streak, which started after he recovered from ninth to win in Miami.
In the last three races, Perez has finished 16th, fourth and sixth, with the latter being where he ended up on Sunday at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old finished behind Verstappen, Alonso, Hamilton and both Ferrari drivers, giving Red Bull a problem.
Verstappen leading Perez by 69 points in the Drivers’ Championship isn’t an issue for Red Bull, given that they’d presumably like to avoid an inter-team fight for the crown.
In a dream situation for Red Bull, Perez on a bad day would still be finishing in second behind Verstappen, rather than behind several rival drivers.
Given that he’s been beaten by some of the team’s rivals for three consecutive races, many having started to wonder if Red Bull would even consider replacing Checo.
Brundle doesn’t read the situation that way, with him instead noting that only Alonso and Hamilton would have the “head to cope” with partnering Verstappen through his current dominance.
Instead, the ex-driver expects Red Bull to “support” Perez through his current run of bad form, to help him return to how he was driving at the start of 2023.
“Perez impressively won two of the first four races this season,” Brundle wrote in his latest Sky Sports F1 column.
“Importantly with Verstappen second to him each time, but it has all fallen apart since Max came from ninth on the grid in Miami to comfortably beat pole-sitting Sergio.
“Perez will need all his maturity and experience, along with team and family support, to turn his head around and start delivering his speed and potential.
“I suspect only Alonso and Hamilton would have the head to cope with Verstappen at this moment and I doubt Red Bull would want that volatility in their team.
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“The team’s perfect scenario would be Sergio to finish a close second to Max every race, and win when Max can’t.
“The trouble is that, as Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon found out, fine young drivers get buried alongside the Dutchman’s speed.
“At the same time, Red Bull can’t have Perez off form when Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin inevitably home in on them. That’s why they’ll support him all the way.”