Dr. Helmut Marko, the advisor at Red Bull Racing, has asserted that there is no criticism directed at Sergio Perez from within the team, despite his challenging performance this season.
Perez’s future with the squad has come under scrutiny, even though he has a contract in place until the end of the following year.
At the beginning of the year, the Mexican driver made an impressive start, securing two wins in the opening four races.
However, his teammate, Max Verstappen, has consistently outperformed him since then and recently clinched his third World Championship title in the Qatar Grand Prix.
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Perez’s lacklustre performance this season includes eight non-Q3 appearances and just five points scored in the last three races.
Marko emphasised that Red Bull Racing is taking a supportive rather than critical stance towards Perez’s challenges this season.
He stated, “Checo just has to do the best he can without looking at Verstappen.
“We are trying to help him do that.
“You see, there is no criticism from the team, only help. Maybe it will work.”
The next events on the Formula 1 schedule include the United States and Mexico City Grands Prix, with the latter being Perez’s home race.
However, Marko noted that the upcoming race in the USA, which will also feature another F1 Sprint weekend, might not be conducive to Perez’s efforts to improve his form.
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“That doesn’t make it any easier for him,” Marko remarked, referring to the upcoming home race for Perez.
He also expressed concern about the additional sprint race in the USA, stating, “That makes it even more difficult for him because he always needs time to get up to speed.
“I hope that Austin will be halfway right, then it will work again in Mexico.”