F1

Steiner on Perez: “Surprised by the decision, considering Horner and Marko’s messages”

gunther steiner su perez

After Perez’s confirmation at Red Bull, here is Gunther Steiner’s comment on his retention: “90% of people thought he would be replaced.”

Sergio Perez’s continued presence at Red Bull until the end of the season has caused quite a stir. The Mexican driver has disappointed everyone in the first half of the season, scoring only 131 points and ranking 7th overall, though thanks to a strong start. Perez has only earned 28 points from Imola onwards: an average of 3.5 points over the last 8 races, which rises to 9 if we include the Sprint Race in Austria.

Gunther Steiner on Perez: “90% of people expected a change on the RB20.”

However, perhaps due to “pressure” from Liberty Media regarding a potential drop in ticket sales for the Mexican Grand Prix, Perez has remained firmly in his seat, which he has occupied since 2021, despite often underperforming and falling well short of the expectations raised by his teammate, Max Verstappen.

Gunther Steiner’s Words

The former Haas team principal commented to RacingNews365: “I said live on German TV: ‘I don’t think we’ll see Checo back after the summer break.’ But I think 90% of people in Formula 1 said that, and probably more than 90%, because his performance is just not there”..

Then came the revelation about messages circulating in the paddock: “All the messages we got from Christian and Helmut over the weekend were like, ‘We need to make some changes,’ and that’s why I mentioned them. I didn’t make it up because I cannot judge if Checo should stay on the RB20, and I obviously have no vote in that decision. But the message from the two was, ‘Yes, there will be some changes’”.

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen after the Bahrain Grand Prix

He concluded: “I was as surprised as you when I read it. Personally, I have nothing against Checo, but so far, his performance has simply not been up to par”,clearly implying that the Italian manager would not have kept Perez on the RB20 if it had been his decision.

Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing

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