Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has disclosed he held a one-on-one meeting with Sergio Perez in the kitchen of his home to address the Mexican driver’s current underperformance.
Perez has only managed 15 points in the last six races, a meager haul that has dropped him significantly behind teammate Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship and contributed far too little to his team’s tally in the Constructors’ standings.
The persistence of Perez’s slump at a crucial time when Red Bull has become vulnerable to its rivals in the competitive landscape has prompted speculation about the 34-year-old’s future.
It also encouraged Horner to have an informal sit-down with his driver ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix to sound out Perez on his troubles.
“We have a really open relationship,” Horner told Sky F1. “I sat down with him in the kitchen in my house and said, ‘come on, what’s going on? Is it something else?’
“And he was like ‘no, I think I’m just overthinking things a bit too much’.
“I think almost ignoring what’s going on on the other side of the garage will do him a favour, which is the approach that he’s taking now, just focusing on his own performance.”
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Red Bull recently extended Perez’s contract on the basis of the strong form he displayed at the start of the 2024 season and on Red Bull’s faith in its driver’s ability.
“We all want Checo to realise the potential that he did in the first four or five races,” added Horner.
“We know he’s capable of that, that’s why we took up the option early on him for next year to try and settle him.
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“I think he’s been in a bit of a headspin the last few races but hopefully today were the signs that he’s coming out of that.
“The team are working very hard with him to support him and make sure that he does re-find his form because we desperately need it.”
On Friday, Perez concluded his day with a strong second practice session, ending FP2 with the fourth fastest lap, just over two tenths behind Verstappen who set the second fastest time.
“The cars are working well,” he explained. “There’s a slight difference between the cars. Both of them have upgrades. The only bit Checo’s missing is the engine cover and sidepod element.
“But the floor, the wing, the rest of it, is the same between the two.”
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Horner reckoned it was Perez’s best outing since China last April.
“Hopefully he’ll have taken quite a bit of confidence out of that,” he added.
“I think the car, whilst it’s been performing, it’s been on a bit of a knife’s edge and I think we’ve seen Max just cope with that a little better than Checo certainly has.
“But hopefully with the steps we’ve made here, we’ve got the car in quite a nice window.”
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