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Christian Horner has as soon as once more set the file straight concerning Sergio Perez’s future, insisting the Mexican doesn’t have the duty to complete second within the championship to retain his seat with Crimson Bull for 2024.
Perez has been on the heart of a whirlwind of hypothesis for the previous few months resulting from his persistent struggles this season and incapacity to compete on the entrance of the sector with teammate Max Verstappen regardless of being armed with the quickest automotive on the grid.
The Mexican loved begin to his 2023 marketing campaign, buying and selling wins with Verstappen within the first 4 races of the season.
However a crash in qualifying in Monaco triggered a downward spiral from which he has been unable to extract himself.
Horner has repeatedly mentioned that Perez is contracted to Crimson Bull till the top of subsequent 12 months, however Helmut Marko has hinted {that a} change might be in retailer if the Mexican doesn’t elevate his sport, additionally reminding him that Crimson Bull has three different drivers – Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson – who may instantly fill his seat if crucial.
Forward of final weekend’s US Grand Prix, additional hypothesis urged that Perez’s days can be numbered ought to he fail to uphold his runner-up spot within the championship, with Lewis Hamilton now 39 factors behind Perez within the Drivers’ standings with 4 races to go.
However Horner denied that such a performance-related clause can be enforced towards Perez on the finish of the 12 months.
“There isn’t any pre-mandate like that,” mentioned Horner in Austin.
“We have by no means completed first and second in a championship. We completed first and third just a few instances with Mark [Webber] and Sebastian [Vettel] and we completed it final 12 months with Max and Checo.
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“So, with this automotive, it will be implausible, in such a season that we have had, if we may end first and second.
“However there isn’t any pre-mandate on Checo that it’s a must to end second otherwise you will not be driving the automotive subsequent 12 months. That is by no means been mentioned.”
Horner insisted that he had no doubts about Perez’s potential to carry out on a par with Verstappen, as he did at first of the 12 months, however recommend that the Mexican is missing the correct “mindset” to battle on the entrance.
“We all know Checo. Should you see Checo’s performances within the first a part of the 12 months: Bahrain, was very, very tight with Max,” argued Horner.
“The race in Saudi, it was an excellent race between the 2 of them pushing one another actually onerous, with very fantastic margins.
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“His race in Azerbaijan, successful the dash and the grand prix there. These are the sorts of performances that we all know he is able to.
“I feel it is simply getting him again into that thoughts body and to get probably the most out of him to get him again to these ranges of performances.
“Being Max Verstappen’s team-mate might be the toughest job within the pitlane as a result of he’s working at such a excessive degree, and it’s relentless,” Horner conceded.
“The psychological aptitude you want to have the ability to cope with that, each time you see a chunk of knowledge, it’s like, ‘Wow! How did he do this? That takes a sure energy of character to have the ability to cope with that.
“The shape that he’s in, and been in for the final three, 4 years, it will be robust for any driver on the grid.”
No matter what the longer term might maintain for Perez, Horner mentioned that from the workforce’s perspective there have been no considerations on the horizon concerning 2025, when it might want to make a name on its second seat.
“We’re actually not in need of choices,” he mentioned. “After all, we have got loads of time to look and consider that, however there’s so many elements concerned.”
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The put up Horner: No want for Perez to complete second to retain Crimson Bull seat appeared first on F1i.com.
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