26 September 2023 , 19:03
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Damon Hill thinks Red Bull want "more of a wingman" for Max Verstappen as he gave his verdict on Sergio Perez's woes.
The Mexican racer has hit another bad patch of form. He finished eighth in Singapore, having collided with both Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon during the race.
And his Japanese Grand Prix was even more incident-hit. He broke a front wing in contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, and then did it again with a lunge up the inside of Kevin Magnussen that sent the Haas into a spin.
Perez took just four points from those two race weekends combined. He still sits second in the drivers' standings, but his cushion to Hamilton is down to just 33 points while team-mate Verstappen is 177 ahead despite having the same car.
Sky Sports pundit Hill thinks Red Bull need someone who can score more consistently next season, should the team face more of a challenge from their rivals. Speaking after the Suzuka race, the 1996 world champion gave his verdict on Perez's struggles.
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"Something went wrong and he then got into trouble in the first corner," he said. "And then I think a little bit of frustration did creep in and it got worse and worse. The thing on Magnussen was really desperation and he was perhaps a little bit annoyed with being where he was."
Agreeing that Perez cannot afford to have so many off-weekends if Red Bull are challenged next year, he added: "I think the team desperately wants a little bit more of a wingman for Max. They know that Max is almost untouchable.
"Do you remember when Michael Schumacher dominated Ferrari and nobody could cope with being number two to Michael? I remember Ross Brawn saying to Eddie Irvine, 'Listen, you can't beat him. You just do the best you can', which is anathema to a racing driver to hear that.
"But you're going to meet someone in this game who is exceptional and probably above your ability unless you are [Ayrton] Senna, Hamilton, Max Verstappen and the rest of the greats – [Juan Manuel] Fangio, Jim Clark. There are these people who are just so difficult to beat. All you can do is get close and do a good job for the team."
Perez's current Red Bull contract runs to the end of 2024. After that, team principal Christian Horner has already said his team will be considering all its options including potential replacements for the Mexican.