Damon Hill issues four-word reaction as Red Bull decide to keep Sergio Perez

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull have decided not to axe Sergio Perez during the summer break. It emerged on Monday, following a meeting between the team bosses, that they would retain Perez for the moment.

Perez qualified an encouraging third for the Belgian Grand Prix and moved up to second thanks to Max Verstappen’s engine penalty. That gave him his highest grid slot since the Chinese GP in April.

He would then fall back to eighth in Sunday’s race, though again that became seventh after George Russell was disqualified. He remains seventh in the championship, now 146 points behind Verstappen.

Red Bull had the option to dismiss Perez this month if the gap was 100 or more. But they have opted not to make a change at this juncture.

Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson were both hopeful of an opportunity. But Ricciardo will remain at RB, while Lawson continues to sit on the sidelines.

It’s a call that’s bound to split opinion. McLaren have closed to within 42 points of Red Bull in the standings, which puts the defence of their constructors’ title firmly at risk.

Damon Hill makes Mexico City Grand Prix reference as Red Bull retain Sergio Perez

1996 world champion Damon Hill offered his immediate reaction on his Instagram story after the news leaked out on Monday. “Mexico, here we come!” he wrote.

Perez’s home race, the 20th of 24 rounds this season, is scheduled for 27 October. It’s not yet guaranteed that he’ll feature in Red Bull colours, but it now looks decidedly more likely.

The 34-year-old is the most successful Mexican driver in Formula 1 history, having won six Grands Prix and taken 39 podiums. He’s one of only two to race under the flag since the 1980s, alongside Esteban Gutierrez.

Perez bagged back-to-back podiums on his first visits to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with Red Bull before retiring last year. Depending on how his future pans out, 2024 could represent his last realistic opportunity to win the race.

Red Bull were wary of Daniel Ricciardo reception in Mexico

According to Planet F1, the upcoming race in Mexico may actually have played a part in Red Bull’s decision. The team were concerned about how his replacement would handle a potentially ‘tense atmosphere’ at the event.

Red Bull would have had to pay Perez around £3.8m to break his contract this summer, and they would also have lost the benefit of a vast array of commercial ties in Latin America. However, they stand to miss out on almost £8m in prize money if they drop to second in the championship, so it’s not clear-cut.

Christian Horner is expecting Perez to ‘excel’ at some of his stronger tracks soon after the break. He’s previously won in Baku (round 17) and Singapore (round 18).

He’s built a reputation as a driver who thrives on street circuits. It’s worth pointing out, however, that he crashed out of the Monaco GP in May after a Q1 exit.