Giedo van der Garde thinks £210k-a-week F1 driver is now really ‘under pressure’

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After the first 10 race weekends of the 2024 Formula 1 season, it’s clear to see which drivers are on the ascendancy and who is really struggling.

It’s safe to say that Max Verstappen and Lando Norris love the 2024 Red Bull and McLaren cars, even if the Dutchman’s machinery isn’t quite as dominant as it has been in recent years.

A welcome return to the podium for Lewis Hamilton suggests that after a slow start, Mercedes are beginning to get to grips with the current regulations in the sport.

However, speaking on the DRS: De Race Show, former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde was talking about a driver at the other end of the spectrum.

The likes of Williams and Sauber are expected to be near the back of the grid at this stage given they haven’t taken the same steps forward as their rivals this year.

However, there are also drivers who should be much further forward on the grid than they currently are.

One of those is Red Bull star Sergio Perez and Van der Garde believes the £210,000-a-week driver is really under pressure.

He may have already signed a new contract taking him into next season but that’s no guarantee of a future in the sport when you drive for Red Bull.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Giedo van der Garde thinks Sergio Perez is under pressure right now

Talking about the Mexican driver, Van Der Garde said: “An excellent second driver, but he really had a bad, bad weekend.

“He is under pressure and since he signed [the new contract], it has really only gone downhill.

“He might be thinking, I’m just fine for the coming year probably with an option for another year but now he has to work.

“If he is not going to perform better then it really becomes hopeless.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Sergio Perez being shown up by Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Time and again, drivers have proved in Formula 1 just how difficult it is to be Max Verstappen’s teammate.

The likes of Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly are superb drivers but when tasked with matching the Dutchman at Red Bull they both came up short.

Arguably the only driver to prove he was up to the task was Daniel Ricciardo although his form has been curtailed in recent years meaning even with Christian Horner’s backing he couldn’t earn a promotion to Red Bull for next year.

Sergio Perez is now in his fourth year alongside Verstappen at Red Bull and has progressed from 4^th to 3^rd to 2^nd in the Drivers’ Championship during his first three campaigns.

However, he doesn’t look like he’s going to match his performances last year as Red Bull no longer have a dominant car and the gap between Perez and Verstappen is so great that three teams now back both of their drivers to split them.

Perez is a handy teammate for Verstappen given the 26-year-old knows he’s never going to be under serious pressure for the number one spot in the team.

But if the Mexican can’t close the gap to Verstappen then Red Bull’s status in the Constructors’ Championship will be under threat.

Helmut Marko has already told Perez what he now can’t afford to do going forward after another difficult drive in Spain.

It’s also been suggested that Perez might be suffering psychologically and it looks like he’s low on confidence on the track at this stage.