Red Bull F1 News: Helmut Marko delivers 'STUPID' Sergio Perez verdict

Helmut Marko, 2024, Jeddah — Photo: © IMAGO

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Marko delivers 'STUPID' verdict on Red Bull star

Sergio Perez finished seventh at the Hungarian Grand Prix

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 25 July 2024 17:57

Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko has aired his frustrations regarding the performance of one of his star drivers at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

McLaren racer Oscar Piastri clinched his first Formula 1 victory at the iconic circuit, finishing one place ahead of team-mate Lando Norris, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

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Red Bull, meanwhile, endured a miserable weekend as their rivals closed the gap at the top of the constructors' standings.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen issued a brutal X-rated rant on team radio over Red Bull's strategy decisions, and was involved in a collision with Hamilton before eventually finishing fifth.

The result means the normally dominant Dutchman has now failed to win any of the last three races.

Max Verstappen has struggled to hit top form in 2024

Sergio Perez is facing an uncertain future at Red Bull after another poor performance

Perez performance frustrates Red Bull chief

It was also another dismal weekend for Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez, who was forced to start from 16th after crashing out of qualifying on Saturday.

The Mexican recovered well on race day to climb through the field and finish two places behind Verstappen in seventh, but his display did little to quieten the doubters given his recent run of poor form.

Perez has scored just 21 points from his previous seven outings, and pressure is building on the experienced racer to show he is deserving of a coveted seat at the reigning constructors' champions.

Helmut Marko has aired his frustrations over Perez's form

Writing in his Speedweek column, Red Bull advisor Marko bemoaned Perez's 'typical' performance at the Hungaroring.

The Austrian wrote: "Let's talk about Sergio Perez for a moment: A GP weekend that was typical of Perez, I would say, unpredictable.

"Very good on Friday, only just behind Verstappen and with the best endurance runs of all the drivers, then unfortunately a stupid mistake in qualifying, which resulted in 16th place on the grid, followed by a very strong race up to seventh place.

"He continues to have this up-and-down [season], nobody knows when he will shine or when he will make a mistake - he simply lacks consistently good performance."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton McLaren Formula 1 Lando Norris