Sergio Perez has had a tough time since last year. It is not like he has been winless or anything. But the problem is that the unbelievable domination of Checo’s teammate Max Verstappen overshadows his contributions. The Mexican driver mentioned he has been under a lot of pressure. The media and fans are not making things easy for Sergio Perez. Moreover, Sergio Perez mentioned that he hired a mental coach to gain self-confidence.
Perhaps it helped a bit as the Mexican driver managed to secure a few podium finishes. But he has not been able to beat his teammate since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hence, the replacement rumors are getting stronger. Even Christian Horner recently gave a hint about the truth in those rumors. Hence, the question is, what is the best thing for Sergio Perez to do at the end of the season?
Will Sergio Perez Consider An Early Retirement?
There have been so many rumors that Red Bull might cut Checo out of the team. Recently, the Red Bull boss confirmed that they were looking for replacements for Checo. Unlike Helmut Marko, Christian Horner used to support Sergio Perez so far. But when he announced that Red Bull was looking to replace Checo, it was only a matter of days before he went to another team. The GPFans recently confirmed that Sergio Perez won’t retire at the end of the 2023 season. However, some sources told a Reddit user that a team that supports Checo, the Telmex, would bid farewell after the Mexican Grand Prix.
There are rumors about Checo announcing his retirement at the Mexican GP👀 pic.twitter.com/LL3372OCZL
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) October 12, 2023
But some sources closer to Sergio Perez denied that rumor, saying the Mexican driver has no intention of quitting F1 after 2023. However, fans know how brutal can the Red Bull advisor be toward Checo. Helmut Marko told Checo that it might be better for him to change teams. But Red Bull was looking forward to helping Sergio Perez get out of the crisis he has been experiencing so far. However, Checo has a contract with Red Bull till 2024. That’s why the GPFans state Checo will continue at the Gran Circo.
Max Is Not Making Things Easier For Checo
It is indeed not easy to be the teammate of a champion like Max Verstappen. The Dutchman can sure seem “Selfish” and “Ruthless.” But his strong mentality helps him win almost all races. Verstappen can’t just back down for his teammate to find a way to win. But Sergio Perez won two races last season as well as this year. He started pretty well, winning two races of the first four. The Red Bull drivers had won a couple of races each. After the first four races, the season was heading toward an intense fight for the title. The fans were expecting an intense internal rivalry between Checo and Max.
But the Mexican driver started fading away since the Miami Grand Prix. He said initially, he had a good understanding of the RB19 car. However, since the Miami Grand Prix, Checo felt the car changed, and it became difficult for him to control the car. He had a couple of DNFs and several eliminations in the Q3 stage. Moreover, the gap between the two Red Bull drivers is increasing after every race in the standings. However, Checo is still at P2, but it is not yet secured.