Alarm at Red Bull

“Unacceptable”: Horner loses patience with Perez

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner (l.) criticizes Sergio Perez.

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

P16 on the grid at the Hungaroring, only 15 points from the last six races. Sergio Perez is currently performing far below the expectations of his racing team, and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner is now sounding the alarm. "This is unacceptable," says the Briton.

While Max Verstappen leads the drivers' championship with an 84-point lead over McLaren's Lando Norris, Perez is currently in sixth place in the points. The huge gap between the two drivers is causing headaches within the team - not least because of the retirement in Hungarian qualifying,

"Okay, the track conditions were tricky, but the track is slippery for everyone," says Horner. "We are painfully aware that Checo has only scored 15 points from the last six races. That is unacceptable. If this continues, the opposition will catch up with us, and Perez knows that."

"This is not going to be easy"
Although the Bulls are still in the lead in the constructors' championship, their lead over Ferrari, McLaren and Co. is steadily shrinking. Mainly because of Perez ... "Because of his mistake, he faces another difficult race. Getting into the points from 16th on the grid at the narrow Hungaroring won't be easy," says Horner, leaving little room for optimism. "If we want to hold our own, then we need both drivers. But we usually only have one car at the front. We can't afford that in the long term."

Schumacher calls for expulsion
It is quite possible that Red Bull will soon take action if the Mexican's results do not improve. "I don't know how long Red Bull will continue to watch and put up with this. I don't think there's any point anymore. And he knows that himself," says expert Ralf Schumacher, demanding action from the racing team. "This has to come to an end. He really should be released."