Perez BLASTED for 'underperforming' as rumours of next Red Bull replacement swirl

After a sensational start to the season, Sergio Perez has struggled for Red Bull in recent races

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 15 June 2023 09:57

Formula 1 pundit Tom Clarkson has claimed that Sergio Perez has "underperformed" for Red Bull this season, after he suggested that Lando Norris could be set to replace the Mexican if he fails to live up to expectations.

After winning the two of the first four races of the season – Jeddah and Baku – Perez has been second best to Max Verstappen since the chequered flag was waved in Azerbaijan.

In fairness to the 33-year-old, nobody has been able to compete with the Dutchman. But in the RB19, questions have been asked over Perez's inability to get the most out of what is a dominant car.

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And Clarkson has now questioned Perez's future at Red Bull, hinting that the likes of Norris could take his seat if he fails to improve throughout the rest of the season.

'Perez has to show he's worthy of a seat'

{inlineimage[https://sportsbase.io/images/gpfans/copy_620x348/5b329ab8f758878076c8738aa1c2a96012547e19.png][Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have had vastly different results in recent weeks for Red Bull][2]}

'Perez has to show he's worthy of a seat'

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have had vastly different results in recent weeks for Red Bull

“I think Perez has underperformed," he told the F1 Nation podcast. "I think you only get to the top in elite sport – any sport – but especially Formula 1, where you have to be competitive with yourself.

"It's all about achieving at the highest level and Perez has been left wanting and that creates pressure, especially when you have drivers like Lando Norris, who have flirted with Red Bull in the past.

“Okay, he's got a long term contract with McLaren. But there are other worthy drivers out there of that second seat at Red Bull and we've seen time and again in Formula One that driver contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on.

Sergio Perez's RB19 is hoisted into the air after crashing during qualifying at Monaco

“If you know if two parties want to do a deal, it will happen. So Perez has got to keep performing in a support role right now.

"It's a sort of nothing role now as well as he's got to keep performing to show that he's worthy of the seat, but equally he's got to be the team player as well. So it's a really frustrating second half of the season for Perez coming up.”