‘Hugely popular’ F1 driver could lose his seat before the end of the 2024 season

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For the first time this season, the Italian Grand Prix saw a new permanent driver join the grid.

Williams decided they had to make a tough call after Zandvoort and Franco Colapinto did an admirable job on his debut after stepping into Logan Sargeant’s seat.

Nothing is guaranteed in Formula 1 as Red Bull know better than anyone after looking set to win both championships at the beginning of the season.

Max Verstappen was unstoppable and Sergio Perez was supporting him well to begin with while Red Bull still had a clear advantage over the rest of the field.

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

That advantage has not just slipped away but disappeared completely and if the rest of the season mimics the Italian Grand Prix then they’re in serious trouble.

Writing after the race in Monza, journalist Joe Saward was analysing the driver situation within the Red Bull camp.

Daniel Ricciardo’s long-term F1 remains undecided and Ted Kravitz thinks Liam Lawson may be about to receive some very good news.

Saward believes that there’s still a chance that Perez doesn’t see out the rest of the season with Red Bull.

The break after the Singapore Grand Prix was touted as the next time Red Bull would assess Perez’s position but by then it may already be too late for the team to win the Constructors’ Championship.

Helmut Marko doesn’t expect Red Bull’s car to be competitive again until Austin at the very earliest putting the Mexican driver on the back foot.

Sergio Perez still not assured a Red Bull seat for the rest of the 2024 F1 season

Talking about the situation at Red Bull, Saward said: “The team decided to keep Sergio just before the summer break, by made [making] it clear that he must do better. He has not done so.

“Dropping him is still an option, but he is hugely popular in the Americas, where a lot of Red Bull is drunk and sponsorship worth $17 million [£12.9m] is at Red Bull because of him.

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

“Red Bull bosses say (quietly) that they will bench him if he does not get better, but if that is the case the Austrian drinks company should order some suits of armour for Christian Horner and Helmut Marko for when they visit Mexico City (and an armoured personnel carrier to get them in and out of the circuit).

“The problem for Red Bull is that it is not 100 percent certain that Daniel Ricciardo would do a better job and Liam Lawson lacks experience.”

Helmut Marko has set Sergio Perez a target to help Red Bull win the Constructors’ Championship

Red Bull only have an eight-point lead over McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship and Ferrari have made a big dent in their advantage as well after Monza.

Verstappen still has a healthy lead in the drivers’ standings but Perez is only 7^th in the championship.

George Russell would be ahead of him too were it not for his unfortunate retirement at Silverstone and his disqualification at Spa after winning in Belgium.

Marko has told Perez what he needs to do for Red Bull to win the Constructors’ Championship but that might still be out of his grasp.

For much of the season, it looked as if the Mexican was underperforming but Verstappen’s recent struggles suggest that it’s not completely his fault.

Only the next eight races – if Perez lasts that long – will determine whether he was the problem or the car.