Red Bull’s championship hopes hang in the balance as Sergio Perez continues to struggle in the final races of the season. The Mexican driver sits a distant eighth in the standings with 151 points, while his teammate Max Verstappen dominates with 393 points.
It’s been a tough few months for the team that started 2023 so strongly.
Red Bull grabbed seven wins in the first 10 races, looking unstoppable in the constructor’s championship. But things have changed dramatically since then.
“It’s all to play for,” Christian Horner told F1TV after a difficult practice session in Las Vegas. The Red Bull boss knows they’re in for a fight, with both Ferrari and McLaren showing impressive pace lately.
“One week we’re quick, one week it’s Ferrari,” Horner explained. “McLaren has always been there or thereabouts. And it just takes one DNF to bring the whole thing completely alive.”
The pressure is mounting as teams approach the end of their engine life cycles, with the sprint race in Qatar adding extra stress to the situation.
But it’s Perez’s performance that’s really hurting the team’s chances.
“We desperately need both cars right up there working as a pair, which we haven’t had,” Horner admitted. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to win the constructor’s championship without that.”
Despite rumors about Perez’s future, Horner insisted the Mexican remains their driver. His contract runs through 2026, though questions persist about his seat security.
In a surprising revelation, Horner mentioned they could technically wait until next year’s season opener in Melbourne to finalize their driver lineup.
“All the drivers that we have under contract, we’re very clear on what their contractual situations are,” he said. “We’ll sit down at the end of the year and look at all the information that’s available to us.”
With just three races left in the season, Red Bull needs Perez to find his form fast if they want to maintain their grip on both championships.
