Helmut Marko has seemingly questioned Sergio Perez’s commitment, claiming that the Mexican driver is engaging in ‘other interests’ away from F1. Checo is facing increasing pressure from Red Bull bosses to improve his performances.

The Mexican driver returned to form at the Italian Grand Prix, moving forward from a P5 starting grid position to finish as runner-up behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

Despite bouncing back from a difficult Dutch Grand Prix with a positive result, the 33-year-old Mexican’s position at Red Bull is far from secure. With a 145-point deficit to Verstappen and no win in the last ten races, Checo is failing to hold a candle to his team-mate, and if performances fail to improve, Christian Horner could grow impatient.

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Having already labelled Perez as “not consistent” and “not always focused” earlier in the interview, the Austrian went on to tell Servus TV: “Sergio, on the other hand, is already over 30 and is having his fourth child. He already has other interests, so we will have to see what happens afterwards.

“On the one hand, the Red Bull seat is one of the most sought-after. But on the other hand, you also have Max Verstappen as an opponent. You need a very strong personality and also incredible mental strength for that. Perez is the one who has managed it the best of all the drivers in recent years, and has also achieved victories.”

Norris, who Marko previously mentioned, is a known target for Red Bull bosses as they prepare for life after Checo, whether that be this winter or for the 2025 season. However, the McLaren driver is contracted for another two seasons beyond the current one and will be hard to prise away from the Woking-based team.

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Instead, Red Bull could look internally at Yuki Tsunoda, who is making a strong case for a call-up after three foundational years with AlphaTauri. Daniel Ricciardo is currently injured, but the popular Aussie is both marketable and fast, marking him as another potential Perez replacement.

Despite his struggles in 2023, Checo still believes that he can turn his campaign around. Speaking after his P2 finish at Monza, he said: “I think we’ve done a lot of progress. On the setup side, I am feeling a lot more comfortable in the car. So I do expect that we will see the best form in the next leg [of] races.”

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