By Joiner Martinez
29 Jul 2024, 19:41 PM EDT
Mexican driver Sergio Checo Pérez received the support of the Red Bull team for the second half of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Multiple reports in the paddock claimed that the Mexican would be out of the team during the summer break, following his poor results in recent top-class competitions.
However, after a meeting at Red Bull’s top brass, Cristian Horner backed the Mexican in front of the factory staff.
“‘Checo’ is still a Red Bull Racing driver, despite all the speculation of late. We hope to see him perform on circuits where he has previously performed well, after the summer break,” Horner told De Telegraaf.
Despite having a contract signed until 2026, ‘Checo’s’ seat has been constantly put in doubt. His poor performance in the first part of the year has generated all kinds of rumours, as the Mexican has only scored 28 points in the last eight races.
The crisis is worsening as Red Bull has lost its power on the grid as it is seriously threatened in the constructors’ championship by McLaren.
However, according to the outlet, Red Bull will keep faith with Perez for the second half of the year, which will be crucial. Right now the team has a 48-point lead in the constructors’ championship, so the team urgently needs Sergio’s points.
Time to re-group as a team, but also to have some rest with our families.
There’s still a long championship ahead, so we’re going to work together to get back where we belong.It’s time to regroup as a team, but also to get some rest with our families.
There is one left… pic.twitter.com/ZruWLppEkh— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) July 28, 2024
Checo Pérez’s position is very firm
After the Belgian Grand Prix, ‘Checo’ said that he will not speak to the media about his future again. “This is the last time I will talk about the future, just to make it clear to everyone. I will not speak anymore, I will not answer any more questions about the future,” he said.
Perez’s results were not the same from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix onwards, entering a negative spiral from which he was never able to escape.
Since then, seven rounds have been contested and the driver from Guadalajara only had three seventh places (Austria, Hungary and Belgium) as best results and on four occasions he was eliminated in Q1 of the classification, two of them due to accidents.
Perez, 34, has only scored 28 points to teammate Max Verstappen’s 141 since their visit to Imola last April, leaving Red Bull just 42 points clear of McLaren in the constructors’ championship after Sunday’s race at Spa.
Keep reading:
“Checo’s future is in his hands”: Christian Horner urged the Mexican driver
Checo Pérez took responsibility for the pole position crash: “We made the mistake”
Checo Pérez denied the existence of performance clauses in his new contract with Red Bull