Sergio Perez’s continued presence at Red Bull leaves Guenther Steiner perplexed.
Guenther Steiner admits he’s perplexed as to why Red Bull will reportedly retain Sergio Perez for next season given he could cost them in the Constructors’ Championship.
Perez secured his position in the Red Bull team for the current championship season by finishing second last year. His impressive performance not only marked the team’s first-ever 1-2 in the Drivers’ standings but also contributed to their latest team trophy.
Guenther Steiner questions Sergio Perez’s longevity
However, despite a strong beginning to the season with three second-place finishes behind Max Verstappen in the first four races, he has failed to secure a podium position in the last three Grands Prix. Additionally, he has been unable to advance to qualifying’s Q3 in the past two events.
Falling to fifth in the Drivers’ standings where he trails Verstappen by 62 points, Perez has the biggest deficit to his team-mate out of the top three teams.
With only a narrow 24-point lead over Ferrari, Red Bull’s position as the leader in the Constructors’ Championship is currently at risk.
According to Steiner, if all the teams started from scratch today, taking into account Ferrari and McLaren’s improvements along with Perez’s performance, Red Bull would not be able to win the teams’ trophy.
“If we started at zero [now] no, I don’t think they would,” Steiner told The Red Flags podcast.
“When looking at the percentage of points scored by Checo compared to his team-mate, it is clear that the other two teams have better driver setups as a whole.”
It is evident that Checo is a skilled driver; it’s just that the other drivers are more closely matched.
Taking that into consideration, the podcast hosts posed a question to Steiner regarding Red Bull’s decision to retain the Mexican driver despite their previous reputation for swiftly replacing drivers.
He responded, “Sometimes, I find myself pondering this question: Why not give another guy a chance, you know?”
Tsunoda’s performance in the RB team is truly impressive, I believe he is excelling in his role. Although it seems that Perez will continue with the team next year, there are other options available, such as Sainz. Albon was initially a contender, but he has recently signed with Williams.
“But it’s one of those things that I’m not quite sure about.”
Perhaps the change in attitude occurs due to the absence of a dominant car. In order to score points, both drivers are now essential, considering the presence of Carlos and Leclerc in the other two teams, and McLaren’s strong lineup with Piastri, who finished second in Monte Carlo, and Norris, who has proven himself without a doubt.
“Perhaps Red Bull’s thinking undergoes a transformation, but apart from Carlos, I believe there are few alternatives left.”
The 2024 championship standings without Red Bull
The F1 2024 Drivers’ Championship standings without Max Verstappen
Revealed: The F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship without Red Bull
Guenther Steiner denies Red Bull decline
Nevertheless, the ex-Haas team boss promptly refuted any claims of Red Bull’s decline, asserting that it is, in fact, Ferrari and McLaren who have narrowed the gap.
He stated that he wouldn’t classify it as a decline for Red Bull, as he believes it is simply a case of other brands catching up rather than Red Bull becoming slower or worse.
It is evident that Red Bull, being challenged, is now compelled to assume greater risks, resulting in a heightened level of tension and increased likelihood of making errors.
Life, in essence, operates in a similar way. When you are being pursued, the likelihood of making an error increases. However, when you are free and everything is going well, even if I were to make a mistake, it would still be acceptable.
I believe that the current situation is becoming increasingly demanding, and as a result, they will likely encounter difficulties, make mistakes, and face problems with their car, which will require them to put in effort and resolve them.
“I believe it’s not a decline, rather the other two have made progress.”
He further stated, “If you are expecting someone, particularly Red Bull, to slow down, I don’t believe that will occur, my friends. It’s simply not going to happen. However, the other teams are impressive and they have made significant progress.”
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