F1 Drive to Survive legend reveals attempt to POACH Red Bull driver

Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Austria, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Latest F1 News

Drive to Survive legend reveals attempt to POACH Red Bull driver

Guenther Steiner has revealed that Haas were interested in Sergio Perez

Jay Winter

Wednesday 14 August 2024 20:00

Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has revealed that he twice attempted to sign Red Bull driver Sergio Perez during his tenure at the American team, praising the Mexican star as a 'good guy' and a solid performer.

Steiner’s revelation may come as a surprise to many, especially in light of Perez’s current struggles at Red Bull, where his recent performances have put his future in jeopardy.

Article continues under video

The former team principal, who rose to fame thanks in part to his appearances on Drive to Survive, admitted that he was taken aback by Red Bull’s decision to retain Perez for the remainder of the season, despite the Mexican driver’s poor run of form.

Perez has scored just 28 points in the last seven races, a streak that has raised serious concerns within the Red Bull camp.

Perez's poor form led to multiple reports that he was on his way out

Shock at Perez’s Red Bull survival

Steiner explained that the signals coming from Red Bull’s top brass, including team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko, indicated that changes were imminent.

“All the messages we got from Christian and Helmut over the weekend were like, ‘We need to make some changes',” Steiner continued. “I was as surprised as you guys when I read it. Nothing against Checo, but he just didn’t perform.”

Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez has suffered similar dips in form in their careers

Comparing Perez to Ricciardo

Steiner likened Perez’s current struggles to those of Daniel Ricciardo during his difficult stint with McLaren and up-and-down performances at RB, suggesting that the Mexican driver is caught in a similar downward spiral.

“He’s obviously in this situation now where he cannot overcome, a little bit like Danny,” Steiner remarked. “He just cannot get out of the hole. I didn’t expect him to be there until the end of the year. But I’m sure they know what they’re doing.”

Perez, who began his F1 career in 2011, secured a seat with Red Bull in 2021 after consistently strong performances in midfield teams. However, his recent form has left many questioning whether he can continue to compete at the highest level.

Guenther Steiner was keen to sign Sergio Perez

Perez was on Haas’ radar

Steiner also revealed that Perez had been a top target for Haas during his time as team principal.

“He was a good driver at the time,” Steiner recalled. “His behaviour in the team was very good, he got on with people, which is always important. He was just a solid driver.”

Steiner noted that while Perez might not have been a championship-winning driver, he was a strong contender for a team like Haas, which was not in a position to attract top-tier talent.

“Maybe he was not a race winner or a championship-winning driver, but at Haas, we couldn’t ask someone of Lewis Hamilton’s class to come and join. But Checo was a potential candidate when we were doing well, so that’s what I saw in him.”

Red Bull Sergio Perez Drive to Survive Guenther Steiner Haas F1 Team