Karun Chandhok says it’s been ‘absolutely brutal’ watching two F1 drivers this season

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With just ten race weekends to go in the 2024 Formula 1 season, the summer break is the ideal opportunity for teams and drivers to recharge their batteries.

The F1 calendar includes two double-headers followed by two triple-headers to bring the campaign to an end and should give each driver plenty of opportunities to build up some momentum.

For the likes of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, it’s vital that they hit the ground running in Zandvoort to try and slow down McLaren’s assault on the top of both championships.

Other teams such as RB and Haas are competing further down the order but know that moving one place in the Constructors’ Championship can be worth millions of pounds.

Each driver’s form is vital going into this portion of the season and speaking on The Fast and The Curious Podcast, pundit and former driver Karun Chandhok has been assessing how each racer has performed up to this point in the year.

While there have been some fantastic performances – Chandhok admitted that Yuki Tsunoda has proven him wrong – there have been some worrying displays as well.

It’s well-documented how tough Sergio Perez has found this season and Perez faced a Red Bull meeting to save his seat ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

He’s seriously struggled compared to his teammate and is slowly slipping down the Drivers’ Championship as a result.

At the other end of the grid, Logan Sargeant is the only driver outside of Sauber who has yet to score a point this year.

Chandhok has admitted that it’s been difficult to watch both drivers this year as they fight for their respective Formula 1 careers.

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Karun Chandhok says Logan Sargeant and Sergio Perez have been ‘tough to watch’ this season

Speaking about how Sargeant’s performed this season, Chandhok said: “It has been tough to watch and you know what? I get no pleasure in seeing anyone having a tough time.

“You know, I think, same with Checo, right? It’s been brutal to watch.

“As we sit here [looking] at the points table, where is he, seventh at the moment, [with] less than half of what Max has got? That’s not enjoyable to watch.

“It’s been tough and the same for Logan but that is Formula One, it’s a meritocracy. It’s brutal. It’s absolutely brutal. And there’s nowhere to hide.

“Yes, it is a team sport, but ultimately, when all of those mechanics and engineers walk away on the grid and the 20 cars line up for the start, in so many ways, it turns into an individual sport, especially in qualifying as well.

“When you’ve got to go and there’s 20 cars on track for that one lap, you’ve got to mentally be in that position to just extract the maximum performance and it’s an individual sport in that respect, absolutely.”

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Sergio Perez and Logan Sargeant could both be dropped before the end of the 2024 F1 season

Although the grid for 2025 is almost set, Perez and Sargeant are both in danger of failing to see out this season.

Perez received a vote of confidence from Red Bull at the beginning of the summer break with several drivers in the team’s set-up ready to step up if required.

However, Perez may only have four races to prove that he’s the right man for Red Bull before they have to make a difficult decision to potentially protect their Constructors’ Championship crown.

Sargeant already knows he’s being replaced by Carlos Sainz at Williams next year which almost certainly ends his F1 career after two years.

However, team principal James Vowles has said Sargeant’s place on the grid isn’t guaranteed for the final period of the season.

Kimi Antonelli won’t be joining Williams next year, but Mercedes wouldn’t turn down the chance to put the young Italian on the grid before he potentially steps up on a full-time basis in 2025.