Speculation surrounding Sergio Pérez’s future continues to grow as false rumors recently emerged that the Mexican could announce his retirement from his next home race. A former employee of the 33-year-old’s biggest sponsor, Escuderia Telmex, took to Reddit and claimed that the Guadalajara-born rider was considering retiring. However, Pérez has no intention of retiring so soon as he said in an interview that he hopes to race in F1 for another three years. Since these rumors have attracted so much attention, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was also recently asked to respond.
The Austrian driver was the biggest critic of Perez when he repeatedly explained that the Mexican was not on the same level as teammate Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Recently, the 80-year-old went further and criticized Perez’s ability to drive an F1 car due to his nationality, a comment that sparked a strong reaction.
However, it should be noted that Marko is not the only one to criticize Perez recently. A number of F1 experts have been discussing among themselves which drivers Red Bull could sign if they choose to replace the former Racing Point driver. Such discussions among F1 experts only add to the pressure Pérez is facing at the moment.
Helmut Marko answers if Sergio Perez will retire
According to Junaid, there are many rumors that Red Bull has fired Sergio Perez. As a result, the Mexican rider is now ready to announce his retirement from his next home race. However, a Red Bull spokesperson later denied this information and considered it a “false report”.
This same question was posed to Helmut Marko, who replied (as quoted by Junaid): “I don’t know.” Therefore, the only thing that is certain at this point is that Red Bull is not satisfied with Perez’s current performance.
Bosses at the Milton Keynes team have made it clear that if the 33-year-old wants to prove his worth then he must finish second in the Championship this season. While Perez is currently second in the standings, he is only 30 points ahead of third-placed Lewis Hamilton, who is breathing down his neck.
Red Bull’s expectations are clear for Sergio Perez
As per Junaid, Red Bull expect Sergio Perez to finish second in the championship as the team has set a target of clinching a 1-2 for the first time with their two drivers. However, if the Mexican ends up losing second place to Lewis Hamilton despite having the fastest car on the current grid, then the Milton Keynes outfit may need to look elsewhere.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has already made it clear that the team cannot afford to have such a huge difference in level between their two drivers. In a recent interview with motorsport.com, the 49-year-old explained that if the grid continues to concertina next year, then Red Bull will need both their drivers to perform to compete for the Constructors’ Championship in 2024.
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