Red Bull are expected to drop Sergio Perez ahead of the 2024 season, with a number of potential replacements in the pipeline.
Sergio Perez believes racing for Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen is “the hardest job in Formula 1”, as the Dutchman clocks 110% every weekend.
2023 was a disappointing campaign for Perez, which left his future with the team in question.
Many believe he should be replaced in 2024 despite being under contract with the Austrians due to his inconsistent performances.
Perez started the year well and took two wins in the first four races; However, going four tournaments without a Q3 appearance midway through the season has put the 33-year-old under pressure. There is no doubt that he did not get the most out of the best car on the track, as evidenced by his intimidation by Lewis Hamilton, who was second in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Mexican driver is simply incapable of keeping up with Verstappen consistently, something he has failed to do since his victory in Azerbaijan.
Even having Verstappen’s data won’t help, convincing former F1 driver Christijan Albers that Red Bull will soon have no choice but to fire Checo.
“Even if he could see Max’s data, he wouldn’t be able to improve and close the gap,” Albers told De Telegraaf newspaper.
“In fact, the gap is only widening. At some point they will realize: “We cannot continue to justify this.” The story will have to end somewhere.
Albers added: “If you see how (Christian) Horner and (Helmut) Marko devastated (Nyck) de Vries, I’m surprised they kept Perez.
Perez is the first to admit that things didn’t go as planned midway through the season and his absence outside of Q3 took its toll on him.
However, he tried to explain how difficult it is to be next to Verstappen, whose driving ability is at the highest level “always and everywhere”. Perez noted that “it takes time” to adapt to a driver like Verstappen, as it is “the hardest job” in the sport.
“He tries to get the most out of the car and he does that every weekend too. That’s definitely something I admire about him,” Perez told De Limburger newspaper.
“Max always and everywhere played at the peak of his abilities. I think that’s the most special thing about him. “He is also a hard-working person and understands very well why he is successful. If something happens, he will immediately know why,” Perez added.
“It takes time to get used to and the past has proven that being Max Verstappen’s teammate is not easy. Very few drivers can withstand this pressure.
“Sometimes I call it the hardest job in Formula 1,” he said.
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