Due to Sergio Perez’s difficulties, Red Bull has decided to hand promote a different driver to the British Grand Prix, as the Mexican driver’s future appears to be seriously jeopardized.
After Red Bull announced that Isack Hadjar will start in first practice instead of Sergio Perez, the British Grand Prix has already seen some changes.
Although Perez has been having trouble with his form this season, academy driver Hadjar has been selected to start FP1. Moreover, Formula 1’s top team has decided to make an unexpected lineup change rather than stick with the current configuration.
Perez started the season with four podium finishes in the first five races, but recently his results have declined dramatically. The 34-year-old finished eighth in the most recent Spanish Grand Prix and seventh in the Austrian Grand Prix, following early retirements in Monaco and Montreal.
Hadjar will be in the driver’s seat for at least the first practice this weekend, though Perez may still play. “Welcome back, Isack Hadjar,” said a tweet from the official Red Bull X account, as obtained by the Daily Express. For FP1 at Silverstone, our junior driver will be riding in Checo’s vehicle.”
Christian Horner, the team principal, has admitted that Red Bull’s No. 2 is under pressure to perform well in order to help Max Verstappen in his pursuit of a fourth straight world championship. It has now been decided to give rookie Hadjar a chance to operate the cockpit.
Fans will not be able to miss Hadjar, 19, in Red Bull colors as he participated in practice prior to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year. But others view this as a much greater chance to land a job that might end up becoming more permanent.
After signing a new two-year contract in Milton Keynes, Perez is under pressure to perform better. But his recent results haven’t shown the progression that one would anticipate from a driver in a safe seat.
His performance appears to have declined as of late, as he has had difficulty leaving his mark on the podium. Verstappen also needs support more than ever because McLaren is starting to show itself as a serious contender for the top spots.
With Campos Racing in this season’s Formula 2 championship, French-Algerian prospect Hadjar has been drawing attention. He has won two races and is currently ranked second overall. Paul Aron, an Estonian who competes in Formula E and was once a part of Mercedes’ junior program, is at the top of the leaderboard.
Even though Verstappen, 26, finished fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix, he increased his lead in the drivers’ standings to 81 points on Sunday. After a rough collision with Lando Norris, Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty; however, Norris withdrew, allowing Verstappen to maintain his lead in the standings.
Although Red Bull’s best driver has won seven of the eleven Formula One races so far this season, his recent results have raised questions about the outcome of the championship race. Prior to finishing in last place in Austria, Norris—who had earlier this year celebrated his first Formula One victory in Miami—had finished in the top two in five of his previous six races.
The choice may have been made purely out of compliance with Formula One rules, which mandate that teams give two free practice sessions annually to a driver who hasn’t participated in more than two Grands Prix. But it also seems too coincidence that Red Bull is setting Hadjar up for the Silverstone session at this time.
In his two prior F1 practice attempts, the teenager placed 17th for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi and AlphaTauri in Mexico. But he’s hoping for a better showing this weekend at Silverstone, where Perez’s ailing form presents him with an opportunity to shine.
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