02 May 2023 , 06:00
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Red Bull have been told to axe Sergio Perez amid tensions with team-mate Max Verstappen.
The Mexican has done a fine job so far this year of keeping up with the defending champion. The Red Bull drivers have two wins apiece to their names after the first four rounds of the season and just six points separate them in the drivers' standings.
Things have been going so well for Red Bull that it's easy to forget that the two drivers have struggled to see eye-to-eye of late. Ever since Verstappen ignored team orders to let Perez pass in Brazil last year, the team has struggled to mask the tension between them.
Ralf Schumacher believes it makes more sense for the team to create a more harmonious duo going forward. And, given Verstappen's status as a double champion and his long-term contract, it would be Perez moving on if the German has his way.
He wrote in his Sky Germany column: "Sergio Perez drove strongly in Azerbaijan. He also has the potential here and there to be faster than Max Verstappen. But with a view to the world championship fight, I don't think he has the consistency of Verstappen.
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"He sometimes makes a mistake under pressure when he's not too happy with the car. Verstappen doesn't make those mistakes and so I think he'll be the better driver throughout the year."
Yuki Tsunoda's improved form could put him in contention for a Red Bull seat (Getty Images)Schumacher, himself a six-time F1 race winner, went on to name two potential recruits Red Bull could target if Perez was replaced. He added: "There are many rumours circulating in the paddock about Perez's future. Red Bull would have options.
"There's Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo is still there and there are enough drivers on the market too. If there is a troubled relationship between Verstappen and Perez then it would make sense to part ways with the Mexican."
Ricciardo is back at Red Bull as a reserve driver but wants a race seat for 2024. Tsunoda struggled to shine in F1 at first but is now performing well with AlphaTauri, securing back-to-back points finishes in the last two races. Outgoing team boss Franz Tost recently suggested the Japanese racer might soon be ready for the jump to Red Bull.