Eliminated in Q1, failing to line up correctly on the grid and then being “too impetuous” in his battle with Liam Lawson, it’s fair to say Helmut Marko was not impressed with Sergio Perez in Mexico. 14 races after his last podium result, Perez returned to Mexico where he was adamant that one good race result would turn his “terrible” season around. It was not to be at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Helmut Marko was not happy with Sergio PerezThe local favourite was eliminated in Q1, down in 18th place and blamed a braking issue in the Red Bull data that he says the team is struggling to fix. Lining up on the second last row, Perez made a fantastic start only to be penalised five seconds for being out of position in his grid box. As his day went from bad to worse, he caught Liam Lawson on lap 18 and the team made contact as they battled over a points-scoring position – and potentially the 2025 Red Bull race seat.

Perez’s RB20 suffered floor damage in the contact and he limped home in 17th place, last of the classified runners. He was also given the middle finger by Lawson as the New Zealander overtook him late in the race. Marko did not hold back in his criticism of the 34-year-old’s latest fumble.

“Sergio Perez had a bad weekend in Mexico,” Marko wrote in his Speedweek column. “We know that qualifying is not his strong point, but being eliminated in the first qualifying segment is very disappointing. “The fact that a man with his experience would then position the car incorrectly in the starting box is incomprehensible and a real shame.

Because his start was sensational. Checo received a five-second penalty for the starting offence. “This was followed by a fight with Liam Lawson, in which both drivers were too impetuous.

Liam even gave his opponent the finger; he later apologised for this, and we accepted that. “Unfortunately, this battle resulted in considerable damage to Perez’s car; with significantly reduced downforce, Sergio’s car was no longer fast enough to do anything. ”Will Sergio Perez be a Red Bull driver in 2025, or even Abu Dhabi?

👉Last hurrah for Daniel Ricciardo? Red Bull’s weakening title bid calls for big risk 👉F1 2024 power rankings: Lando Norris overtakes Max Verstappen as Perez plummets furtherHelmut Marko ‘impressed’ with Liam Lawson’s returnAdding to Perez’s misery, Marko seems to have moved past his initial ire at Lawson over the crash. Speaking immediately after the race, he called out for Lawson for acting “too strongly” as he ran Perez out of road.

However, days later, he says he’s impressed with what he’s seen from Lawson in his two races back on the grid. “Liam Lawson came back very strongly in the USA and finished ninth, and I was also impressed by how he steadily improved in Mexico,” he said. “Without the botched lap by Tsunoda, the New Zealander would have finished in the top ten in qualifying.

“So far, Liam Lawson has proven his qualities and confirmed the trust placed in him. ”Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB at the United States Grand Prix in what was being billed as a six-race audition for a 2025 F1 VCARB seat. That’s now said to include Red Bull with reports claiming the New Zealander could replace Perez as Max Verstappen’s team-mate if he performs well enough.

Perez though, insists he’s going nowhere and recently spoke of the “next six months” ahead for Red Bull as they look to resolve the car’s issues before next season. Perez in eighth in the Drivers’ Championship, over 200 points down on Max Verstappen, while Red Bull have fallen to third in the Constructors’ Championship. Read next: Five big questions we want answering at the Brazilian Grand Prix