At Imola, Sergio Perez appears unimpressed while conversing with Red Bull engineers.
Christian Horner has warned Sergio Perez that Red Bull “need” him to be supporting Max Verstappen after a “blip” at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
And the team boss has revealed that Red Bull know “exactly” what their options are as Perez pursues a contract extension for F1 2025.
Christian Horner challenges Sergio Perez to secure Red Bull F1 2025 contract
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Perez, who experienced a highly unpredictable F1 2023 season, has begun the new season on a positive note by playing a key role in Red Bull’s triumphant one-two finishes in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
Nevertheless, the 34-year-old, whose existing contract with Red Bull is set to conclude at the end of this year, experienced a forgettable weekend at Imola. He was unable to progress beyond Q2 due to a crash during the final practice session.
Despite implementing a different tire strategy, Perez’s performance on race day only allowed him to finish in eighth place. This was one position lower than what Red Bull’s simulations had anticipated as the most favorable outcome.
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Perez’s recent weekend break has brought back memories of his slump in mid-2023. During that time, he struggled to make it to Q3 in five consecutive races from May to July, putting his Red Bull seat in jeopardy.
Horner characterized the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as an “abnormality” and emphasized the importance of Perez supporting Verstappen, as Red Bull is increasingly challenged by McLaren and Ferrari.
In his interview with Sky F1, he expressed his disappointment for Checo, who was unfortunately out of sync after qualifying.
“We implemented the reverse strategy with him, resulting in him finishing in P8. According to our analysis prior to the race, seventh place was the most promising outcome we could foresee.”
It is clear that we require his presence up there, providing support to Max just like the cohesion between the two Ferraris and the two McLarens.
In my opinion, he has had a significantly better beginning to this year apart from this weekend, which has been an exception.
“He has displayed immense strength and adopted a more relaxed approach, placing less emphasis on Max’s actions and solely concentrating on his own progress.”
“I believe he has addressed that.”
There is a growing theory that Perez faces the most difficulties when the F1 calendar shifts back to Europe, as his performance deficit to Verstappen significantly increases on conventional driver circuits.
Although Monaco triggered his mid-season slump last year when he crashed on the first corner of his initial flying lap in Q1, Horner has expressed his confidence in Perez’s ability to bounce back this weekend before the F1 schedule moves on to Canada.
Speaking to the media, including Thomas Maher from PlanetF1.com, he expressed his belief that the current situation is merely a minor obstacle. He added that the upcoming race in Monaco will provide further clarity, as it will mark the end of their European leg before moving on to other locations.
“I believe it’s just a minor setback. He has consistently performed well at Monaco in the past, so let’s wait and see.”
The calendar consists of 24 races, and he has had an excellent beginning to the year. His approach has been remarkably strong, as he has made some adjustments to his strategy this year.
“Yesterday’s qualifying determined today’s outcome.”
When questioned about the timing of Perez’s off weekend in relation to the unpredictable driver market, Horner disclosed that Red Bull has already secured their choices for F1 2025.
He stated that the driver market is currently unfolding, and they are fully aware of their current position and available choices.
We will make decisions about the future when the timing is suitable for us.
“Dealing with Checo is always a breeze since he’s a very straightforward guy. I don’t foresee any issues in that regard.”
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