Jenson Button urges ‘next race’ Sergio Perez deadline at Red Bull
Sergio Perez seen during the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria on June 28, 2024.
Jenson Button believes if Sergio Perez isn’t in the mix at the “next race”, the Hungarian GP, then Red Bull need to make the call to “get him out of the car”.
Although Red Bull handed Perez a new two-year extension after the Monaco Grand Prix, his future with the team is on the line amidst reports Red Bull could consider a driver swap in the summer break.
Red Bull told not to let Sergio Perez situation ‘go on forever’
With sources close to the situation indicating to PlanetF1.com that team boss Christian Horner is happy with Daniel Ricciardo’s recent improvements, clauses in both Ricciardo and Perez’s contracts allow for a driver swap.
Should that happen, it would likely make Perez a free agent on the driver market for 2025.
Red Bull are said to be waiting for the summer break after the Belgian Grand Prix to make the call, but Button reckons they should do it after Hungary already if Perez doesn’t perform.
“It’s a massive, massive issue,” the 2009 World Champion told Sky F1.
“This [Silverstone] was a terrible weekend. It was unlucky in some ways as well. This isn’t going to happen every race weekend, but for McLaren to be taking this many points out of them, it’s big.
“He needs to be scoring some points at least. Even if he’s not directly behind Max. They can’t let it go on forever.
“I think in the next race, if he’s not scoring points again – soon enough they’ve got to get him out of the car and put someone else in.
“It’s tough, I know it’s not a nice feeling for a driver, it’s horrible, but for them the championship is important.”
Perez failed to score a single point at the British Grand Prix where he was 17th after an off in qualifying, followed by a pit lane start as Red Bull fitted his RB20 with new components.
The worrying numbers for Sergio Perez after the British GP
👉F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
👉The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings after the British Grand Prix
According to De Telegraaf, there is a clause in Perez’s contract that opens the door for him to be replaced if he is 100 points behind Verstappen when F1 enters its summer break.
Today he’s 137 points off the pace.
But ahead of reserve driver Liam Lawson’s RB20 test at Silverstone, Perez was asked about his contract situation.
“I know where I am in terms of contract and that sort of thing,” he told the media, including PlanetF1.com. “I cannot let it be a distraction.
“I need to focus on the next two weekends, which are the priority, and together as a team, to get out of this difficult period.”
Team boss Christian Horner did nothing to quash the rumours when he called Perez’s form “unsustainable”, adding: “We have to be scoring points in that car and he knows that.
“He knows his role and his target and so nobody is more eager than Checo to get back and find his form again.”
Although McLaren, third and fourth at the British Grand Prix, remained third in the Constructors’ Championship, the Woking team outscored Red Bull to sit 78 points behind.
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