Sergio Perez told he should quit Red Bull and will do so "if he is intelligent"

01 September 2023 , 14:58

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Sergio Perez told he should quit Red Bull and will do so "if he is intelligent"

Former Formula 1 star Gerhard Berger has urged Sergio Perez to quit Red Bull as the Mexican's difficult season continues.

Perez won two of the first four grands prix of the season, in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. He hasn't won since, though, with team-mate Max Verstappen claiming nine victories on the spin up to and including the Dutch Grand Prix in August.

The 33-year-old was on the podium alongside Verstappen for two of the last three races, finishing third in Hungary and second in Belgium. However, Berger - who drove for the likes of Ferrari and Benetton in his own F1 career - has made clear his preference for Perez.

Verstappen is simply in a class of his own," Berger told Speedweek. "The lead is so glaring that others only come closer on a day when they themselves get a bull's eye on the vote and [Red Bull] may not be ideally positioned for once. But even then Max takes coals out of the fire.”

"Perez has no mental or other problem. He's a normal size, good average, but his teammate is an exceptional talent.

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"If Sergio is intelligent, he will look for another team where he can break the deadlock and show his performance. But he will never be able to beat Max consistently."

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Sergio Perez has played second fiddle to team-mate Max Verstappen in 2023 (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Berger isn't the only former Formula 1 driver to suggest Perez's future might lie away from Red Bull. Indeed, Ralf Schumacher believes the team are already looking for a replacement.

“I think his days at Red Bull are numbered," Schumacher wrote for Sky Germany. "Helmut Marko is not exactly known for his warm-hearted way of dealing with Perez. I think that Perez as a guy can’t deal with that so well, that’s how I explain these serious mistakes.

“Perez looked very grumpy, disappointed, and also absent all weekend. I think that there were already agreements about a separation after the end of the season.

“I could imagine Lando Norris becoming Verstappen’s new teammate sooner. The two seem to be good friends. I assume that Verstappen will ultimately decide who will be his teammate. This is nothing unusual. That was already the case with Senna, my brother also had this right.

“When a driver like Verstappen contributes so much to the team’s success, I also think it’s good that you have your back as free as possible.”

Perez could only finish fourth last time out, in The Netherlands, to drop 128 points behind Verstappen in the overall standings for 2023. Next up is the Italian Grand Prix, where Perez finished sixth in 2022.

Tom Victor