Max Verstappen Steps in to Defend Sergio Perez Before the Final Meeting
IMAGO / HochZwei

Following a string of disappointing results, Sergio Perez is on the brink of a Red Bull exit. He had the chance to make amends in Belgium. But after finishing P7 despite starting on the front row, reports suggest he could be sacked before the next race weekend. Max Verstappen, however, has defended Perez yet again before the meeting that will decide the Mexican’s future in the team.

In the post-race press conference at the Belgian GP, a journalist asked Verstappen if the higher-ups were interested in hearing his take on Perez’s form. The Dutchman replied,

“Well, I don’t need to have an opinion on it, I think our biggest worry is not with my teammate, but with the car.”

Verstappen insisted several times in the past, that Perez was not the main person at fault. He kept blaming the RB20 and stated that the Milton-Keynes-based team had to field a better car to get the best out of Perez. The performance had remained the team’s primary concern, and the RB20 was nowhere near as good as its predecessor – the RB19.

Using the RB-19 Perez finished P2 in the standings. He was nowhere near as good as his teammate overall, but still managed to do what was needed of him on most occasions. That has not been the case this year, as Perez sits P7 in the standings, 146 points behind Verstappen.

Belgian GP could well have been the final nail in the coffin for Perez

With only Charles Leclerc in front of him, Perez had the chance to take the lead in the Grand Prix from the very get-go. Winning the race could have been difficult, but with a podium finish, Red Bull could have built some gap to McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

However, Perez underperformed. After the Belgian GP, Marko claimed that Red Bull would look at the situation for 2025. The Austrian felt that results were crucial for Perez and that P7, after starting from P2 was not what they expected.

Daniel Ricciardo was also spotted talking to the Red Bull bosses. This gives more strength to rumors that he will indeed replace Perez for the remainder of 2024, or possibly in 2025.