Sergio Perez responds to being under threat at Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris are in pole position to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Sergio Perez remains unfazed by ongoing speculation surrounding his future at the Red Bull Formula 1 team. 

The rumours have been fuelled by the announcement that Daniel Ricciardo will replace Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards. 

As Ricciardo aims to prove himself and secure a return to a Red Bull race seat alongside Max Verstappen, Perez has faced difficulties in qualifying, leading to discussions about his future.

Perez’s challenging Saturday at Silverstone saw him finish 16th in Q1, missing out on the top 10 for the fifth consecutive Grand Prix. 

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However, he showed resilience in Sunday’s race, recovering to sixth place. 

Despite the qualifying struggles and being 99 points behind Verstappen in the championship standings, Perez remains under contract with Red Bull Racing for 2024. 

However, his previous experience with Racing Point/Aston Martin has taught him that teams often have the flexibility to change their plans.

When asked about the speculation surrounding his future, Perez stated, “I couldn’t care less if I’m honest about that. 

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“I’ve been in F1 13 years, and I’ve seen it all. Not worried about any of that. 

“I’m mainly focused on getting my season on track and making sure I keep enjoying this.” 

The Mexican driver reiterated that he has the full support of team principal Christian Horner and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko. 

“The whole team is fully backing me, and they know what I can do,” he added.

“They know my potential, and they are fully behind me.” 

Perez is actively working with his engineers to address his qualifying issues, which have been exacerbated by challenging wet/dry sessions in recent weeks. 

He acknowledged the need to fine-tune the details and improve his performance on Saturdays. 

Despite the struggles, Perez remains confident that he can bounce back. 

He emphasised the importance of having a strong qualifying session to complement his strong race pace.

“We’re making progress because the pace is there on Sundays,” he said.

“But it’s just the whole weekend overall; we’ve had a few bad weekends. 

“But at the end of the day, it only matters where we finish in Abu Dhabi. 

“So it’s a long season still, and I fully believe that I can get my season back on track,” Perez expressed.

Reflecting on the difficult Sunday at Silverstone, Perez acknowledged the challenges he faced during the race. 

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He mentioned losing positions after being pushed off by Esteban Ocon on lap one and the tire management issues during the first stint. 

Despite the setbacks, he praised the team’s effort and remained determined to give his all in each race.

Regarding a clash with Nico Hulkenberg that sent the latter into the pits for a new wing, Perez described it as a racing incident, highlighting his fortunate avoidance of a puncture.