Red Bull 'have the right' to SACK Perez claims former F1 driver
F1 News
Red Bull 'have the right' to SACK Perez claims former F1 driver
Sergio Perez has struggled to come to terms with his RB19 since the opening races of the Formula 1 season, including a current run of five straight Q3 misses, which former Red Bull junior Jaime Alguersuari says is not acceptable.
The Mexican trails his team-mate by 99 points in the drivers’ championship, something which could have cost the team if the field was tighter at the front.
With Daniel Ricciardo promoted to AlphaTauri, pressure will now be mounting on Perez, who will have both the Aussie and his new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda breathing down his neck for a chance at the second Red Bull seat.
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Alguersuari: Perez would not have lasted a year
Alguersuari, who took part in 46 grands prix, scored 31 points with a best finish of seventh. After leaving the sport, he took a new career path and is now a DJ – something which he loves just as much as racing.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in their weekly podcast, the Spaniard summarised Perez’s performance so far this year, delivering a brutal assessment.
He said: “We have to be clear that Checo was never in the junior team. If he was, considering how Helmut Marko judges drivers, he would not have lasted a year.
“You have a winning car and have to use it. I know people will think, 'what are you saying, your best place was seventh?' I didn't have a chance to drive a winning car and I'm just saying your first rival is your team-mate.”
He also believes that there are other drivers on the grid that could do a better job of competing alongside Max Verstappen.
“It's not acceptable that Perez is always half a second or seven tenths slower," he said. "If your team-mate is winning all the races, you have to at least be on the podium, not on your best day being on the podium.
“You have to be closer otherwise they have the right to replace you. There are many drivers on the grid that could definitely be much closer to Max.”
With rumours circulating the paddock that multiple drivers could play musical chairs for the 2025 season, we could yet see a very shaken up grid compared to what we have now.
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Nyck De Vries
- Liam Lawson
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Australia 2023
- Grand Prix of China 2023
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
- Miami Grand Prix 2023
- Qatar Airways Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
- AWS Gran Premio de España 2023
- Grand Prix du Canada 2023
- Grand Prix of Austria 2023
- Aramco Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Italy 2023
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
- Grand Prix of Japan 2023
- Qatar Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of the United States 2023
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
- Rolex Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2023
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
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