Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
Sergio Perez is “not Red Bull-worthy”, that’s the verdict from former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos who can’t understand why he has not been replaced.
Perez has not won a single Grand Prix this season, while his team-mate Max Verstappen has secured seven out of twelve victories in the F1 World Championship.
‘Because what Perez is showing is not Red Bull-worthy’
After a disappointing P17 finish at the British Grand Prix, the Mexican driver dropped to sixth place in the Drivers’ standings, sparking rumors once again about his future at Red Bull.
Although Perez signed a new two-year deal in the wake of the Monaco Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com understands from sources close to the situation that there’s a clause in his contract that could allow Red Bull to demote him to the junior team in the summer break.
That clause is said to be a 100-point deficit to Verstappen with Perez trailing his team-mate by 137 with two races until the deadline.
Doornbos, a former Red Bull test driver who participated in three Grands Prix for the team in 2006, expresses surprise at Red Bull’s failure to take action.
“The whole world is wondering why they gave him a new contract. And why he is not being replaced,” Doornbos told Motorsport.com. “Because what Perez is showing is not Red Bull-worthy.
He has been given more time than anyone in the past.
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Doornbos expressed that Red Bull is facing significant challenges in determining how to handle him. He further mentioned that in the past, certain junior drivers were elevated to the A-team but later demoted during the season to provide an opportunity to someone else. However, Perez’s circumstances are somewhat unique.
The distinction lies in the Mexican driver’s sponsorship, as Perez has managed to secure significant endorsements from major players such as Disney, Telcel, Mobil, Claro, Nescafé, and KitKat.
However, despite Red Bull’s advantage in the Constructors’ Championship being compromised due to only one car earning significant points, Doornbos believes that this could potentially outweigh Perez’s sponsorship contribution.
He stated that in the past, Red Bull had a significant advantage over other teams, allowing Pérez to be slightly slower than Max by three-tenths of a second. However, with the increasing competitiveness of other teams, a difference of three-tenths can now determine whether a team finishes first or sixth.
He is no longer trailing by only three-tenths; over the past six or seven weekends, he has fallen significantly behind. This is particularly evident in qualifying, reducing his chances of scoring points. In such a fiercely competitive field, this could easily result in a complete absence of points.
It appears to me that as team management, your intention is to enforce the clauses we have included in the contract. Otherwise, why would we have included them in the agreement? These provisions have a purpose and should be activated accordingly.
Currently, the situation we are witnessing is exceptionally unfavorable. While it is indeed regrettable for Perez, it is important to acknowledge the cut-throat nature of elite sports, particularly in Formula 1 where only twenty spots are available. In this fiercely competitive environment, one must either succeed or face elimination.
In my opinion, they have allotted him sufficient time and it is crucial for Red Bull to prioritize taking action now in order to secure the Constructors’ Championship.
He expressed, “Witnessing him standing in the gravel and pleading to be pushed out of it made me feel so embarrassed for him. It was truly heart-wrenching.”
“We witnessed a once-prominent athlete who has completely deviated from his path. It appears he may have sensed that he had exhausted all his remaining credibility with the team.”
Robert Doornbos weighs in on Sergio Perez replacement
When it comes to selecting an alternate driver to pair with Verstappen in the RB20, Doornbos would bypass his VCARB team-mates and opt for reserve driver Liam Lawson instead.
“Currently, Red Bull is facing significant challenges with that issue,” he remarked, “as they had anticipated a drastically different situation.”
We have yet to witness Daniel Ricciardo challenging Yuki Tsunoda, making it unfair to promote him, despite the possibility of him outperforming Perez.
If Liam Lawson performs well during his test at Silverstone on Thursday with the RB20, I would choose him to join the team. Alternatively, offering Yuki Tsunoda an opportunity at Red Bull would be a great move that would benefit Honda greatly.
Daniel Ricciardo is well-equipped to handle the distinct pressure faced by Red Bull Racing, which is notably different from that of the RB team [VCARB].
Yeah, it’s definitely a tough decision. I wouldn’t want to be in their position.
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