Red Bull exit looming for Sergio Perez as former F1 driver urges team to take action

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos has urged Red Bull to take immediate action on Sergio Perez's current position at the team. Doornbos says that the data does not lie and thus Red Bull is in a very difficult position with keeping Perez for the remainder of his contract.

Perez is having a very difficult season so far. The Mexican started the year strongly and managed to keep up well with Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in the races. For some time, the two Red Bull drivers were even in first and second place in the world championship. However, Perez has now dropped to fifth place and the difference with teammate Verstappen is a whopping 137 points.

And that is a big problem for Perez. In fact, his Red Bull contract is said to contain a clause that allows Perez to be ejected from his Red Bull seat early if the Mexican is more than 100 points behind his teammate, in this case Verstappen, during the summer break or at the end of the season. During the next two races, Perez will therefore have to make up a difference of no less than 38 points over Verstappen for Red Bull not to use this clause.

Red Bull looming exit for Perez

It is an almost impossible task for Perez, as the upcoming two races have been very strong for Verstappen in the past. Besides, the Dutchman scored a total of 61 points in the past three races, while Perez managed to put only 11 behind his name. So it could just be that Perez will no longer be Verstappen's teammate after the summer break and there will be another driver in the second RB20.

Doornbos also sees that the end of Perez's Formula 1 career is in sight. "Liam Lawson is testing that car of Max and Checo, the RB20, at this same circuit (Silverstone). You have to put it in, you have to do something now. You have no more excuses. The data doesn't lie. It is a very difficult situation for Red Bull because they have let it fester for too long," Doornbos told Ziggo after the British Grand Prix.

"I just feel the boy's (Perez) pain. Horner made sure this (Perez's contract extension) was done quickly, also because the Verstappen family wanted that. They just wanted Pérez to sign, so they wouldn't be distracted by Carlos Sainz and everyone lurking for that seat," Doornbos added.