Sergio Perez’s Red Bull tenure, which has been under threat for a while, is increasingly likely to come to an end after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Mexican has missed the mark expected of him at so many events in 2024, and it has left Red Bull third in the constructors’ championship. There’s a possibility that the team won’t win any silverware this year, which is almost unimaginable from the position they were in halfway through the season.
For some reason, Perez just hasn’t been able to gel with the RB20, and that won’t have benefitted the car in its development, nor will it help them as they chase the drivers’ title in the final four races. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesRed Bull ‘need two fast drivers’ argues Tom CoronelMax Verstappen’s Mexico City Grand Prix weekend started in pretty poor fashion, as he missed out on lots of Friday running due to an engine issue. After the power unit was replaced, he was on the back foot, but still managed to find a setup which could help him deliver some strong pace.
Speaking on the RacingNews365 YouTube channel, Tom Coronel argues that he would’ve been even faster if Perez wasn’t struggling so much and could’ve helped with the setup of the car. READ MORE: What Carlos Sainz Sr was really thinking when he hugged Ferrari staff after Mexico City Grand Prix“You just need two fast drivers now, we see it at Ferrari, we see it at McLaren. If you want to develop the car, you just need two drivers who are super fast, and therefore also try things.
“This was also the problem for Max. He was barely able to drive first and second free practice on Friday because he had engine problems, and that’s why he couldn’t adjust the car. “Take your teammate’s adjustment in this case, yes that doesn’t work and that works at Ferrari and McLaren.
”How do Red Bull beat McLaren to the world championship? It’s pretty clear by now that Red Bull are fighting this battle on one leg, with Sergio Perez playing little more than an observatory role while in the cockpit. They have four races to maximise their returns, and at this stage, a victory at any stage would all but end the title fight.
McLaren and Ferrari are also fighting for the constructors’ championship, which wasn’t expected just a few months ago, so that provides Verstappen with another hurdle. READ MORE: Hamilton admits Mercedes concern despite ‘my mistake’ in MexicoThankfully for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, it appears that their United States Grand Prix upgrades worked and their car has more pure pace now. Unlocking that at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix would place McLaren under extreme pressure heading into the season-ending triple header.