Timo Glock thinks £8m-a-year driver’s F1 future is in serious doubt after Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was full of incidents and while it built some drivers up, plenty were humbled by the extremely tough racing conditions.

A bumper Sunday of action at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix saw qualifying and the race take place just a few hours apart which created a few issues for several teams in the paddock.

After five red flags in qualifying, Aston Martin and Williams were in a race against time to fix both cars after heavy crashes, while Carlos Sainz was left telling Ferrari what was wrong with his car after a shunt in Q2.

Alex Albon failed to take the start and Lance Stroll couldn’t navigate the formation lap after getting stuck in the gravel trap at turn four.

Max Verstappen showed the rest of the grid how it’s done, while both Alpine drivers joined him on the podium after a miraculous performance.

Timo Glock was analysing the race for Sky Germany and highlighted one driver in particular who left him very disappointed.

While Verstappen was almost clinching his fourth Drivers’ Championship on top of the podium, his teammate Sergio Perez was having another difficult weekend.

The £8m-a-year driver failed to reach Q3 in either qualifying session and only added one point to his tally after squeezing into the points in the Sprint Race.

Glock now believes that Perez’s F1 career looks set to come to an end.

He doesn’t think the Mexican has done enough to justify staying at Red Bull despite having a contract that could run until 2026.

Timo Glock critical of Red Bull driver Sergio Perez after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Perez could only watch on from his starting position on the grid as Verstappen showed him how it’s done in wet conditions.

The Dutchman was running in the top 10 by the end of the first lap, while Perez dropped down to last just a few corners later.

The Mexican driver spun midway through the second sector, giving him even more work to do to add to his points tally.

He eventually got stuck behind Lewis Hamilton and Liam Lawson and finished a frustrating 11th as he crossed the finish line.

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

Talking about the 34-year-old, Glock said: “He is clearly on the ropes. In the end, I am sure that we will not see him in the Red Bull for much longer.

“We must not forget the spin at the very beginning of the race.

“These are mistakes that he must not make. Especially not in the current situation.”

Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 future still up in the air

The expectations at Red Bull are incredibly high as many other drivers have learned in the past.

Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have proved that they’re brilliant F1 drivers, but they couldn’t do enough to convince Red Bull that they were long-term partners for Verstappen.

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

Ted Kravitz believes Perez will see out the rest of the season, but his future beyond the winter break is much less certain.

Helmut Marko isn’t convinced by one potential Perez replacement, but the issue for the Mexican is that Red Bull can immediately call upon two RB drivers if they want to.

Perez needs to nail the final three races of the season to convince Red Bull he can still reach his best level.

Otherwise, Mexico may have to say goodbye to their greatest-ever Formula 1 driver.