SERGIO Perez’s seat with Red Bull is safe for this Formula One season, former champion Jenson Button said on Tuesday, but if the Mexican’s struggles continue, he could be looking for another team next year.
Perez was in the thick of the championship hunt just a month ago but has suffered a dramatic dip in performance with a run of sub-par results, failing to reach the podium in the last three races for dominant Red Bull.
Teammate Max Verstappen claimed his sixth win of the campaign at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday to open a 69-point lead over Perez in the standings, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso closing in on second and now just nine adrift.
Concern has mounted to the point that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner felt the need to have a chat with Perez in Montreal, telling him to forget about the championship and refocus on driving.
Horner also said the team was going to stand by Perez and help him through the slump, but Red Bull have not always shown patience with under-performing drivers.
“I don’t think he is (in danger) for this year but at the end of the year who knows,” said Button during a media call to promote NASCAR’s first street race in two weeks’ time in Chicago that the Briton will compete in. “Who do you put in there?
“Obviously they have Daniel Ricciardo there as an ambassador, but I don’t know if they are willing to put him in that seat.
