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Sergio Perez is unlikely to have felt the level of pressure on his shoulders over the next two Grand Prix at any other point in his Formula 1 career.
Throughout the 269 Grand Prix Sergio Perez has started, he’s always been seen as a very quick driver but his recent form has put the spotlight on the Mexican.
The majority of his time in F1 was spent at teams fighting to escape the midfield and his performances towards the end of his time at Racing Point earned him the ultimate promotion to Red Bull.
For a couple of seasons, he was the perfect number two to Max Verstappen, putting in good performances without challenging the team’s star man.
However, signs began to emerge in 2023 that the gap between Perez and Verstappen was starting to grow to an uncomfortable degree.
Christian Horner gave Perez the hurry up in qualifying but this year things have once again taken a turn for the worse.
Even before Perez signed a new contract in Canada he was off the pace and now with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all possessing nearly identical cars, the 34-year-old has fallen to the back of the pack.
Unfortunately, he drives for the only team on the grid who have a sister outfit competing alongside them with two drivers who desperately want his seat.
Yuki Tsunoda is one of those drivers and speaking to Autosport before the Hungarian Grand Prix, was asked about the prospect of potentially replacing Perez.
He gave an unequivocal answer while also dismissing one of his rivals for the seat.
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Yuki Tsunoda gives verdict on whether he deserves Red Bull promotion
Ahead of the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Tsunoda was doing his usual media duties in the paddock.
Tsunoda was asked if he deserved the seat next to Verstappen, and the Japanese driver simply said: “Yes.”
He then elaborated, speaking to GP Blog and said: “If I’m not ready, I [wouldn’t have been] able to fully announce the next season, at least for VCARB. I’ve been feeling ready for the last three years to fight against the top teams, higher positions, even with Max [Verstappen] or whatever.
“But in the end, they’re the ones who are going to decide and it’s not the things I can control. So I’m just focusing on what I have to do at the next two races.”
It was then put to Tsunoda how he would feel if Red Bull instead put reserve driver Liam Lawson in the car and added: ‘If they choose Liam, that would be weird.
“But for me, at least, I don’t think so. Liam did a really good job when he drove the previous year. I think I did more than that. We’ll see how it goes. They know how to manage the drivers.”
Yuki Tsunoda still has to convince Red Bull of his credentials
Red Bull have a difficult choice to make if they want to replace Sergio Perez during the summer break.
Yuki Tsunoda has outperformed Daniel Ricciardo this season, but senior Red Bull staff are unsure about Tsunoda’s suitability to being Max Verstappen’s teammate.
The Japanese driver has calmed down this season compared to previous campaigns where he was emotional in the car.
Daniel Ricciardo’s campaign has been very stop-start and it would be harsh on Tsunoda if he was overlooked for Ricciardo.
The joker in the pack is Liam Lawson who has been watching from the outside from both the Red Bull and RB garages this year.
Lawson has been suggested as a potential replacement for Perez but it would be very harsh on Tsunoda if he was overlooked for a driver with just five Grand Prix worth of experience.
The ideal solution for Red Bull is for Perez to close the gap to Verstappen in Belgium and Hungary and they can put off making a decision on his future until the end of the campaign.
However, McLaren and co. will fancy their chances of nabbing the Constructors’ Championship if Perez stays in the car until the end of the season.
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