‘Holding that team hostage’ – Red Bull urged to drop Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez’s crashed Red Bull

Ahead of Red Bull’s summer break discussions, Robert Doornbos reckons Sergio Perez has left Red Bull a “bit stuck” as to who can replace him, but they have to do something.

Perez crashed in Saturday’s qualifying at the Hungaroring when he got it wrong at Turn 8 as he took too much kerb and slammed into the barriers.

Sergio Perez’s latest qualifying crash dubbed ‘unnecessary’

Out of the session and down in 16th place, it was the Mexican driver’s fourth Q1 elimination over the last six rounds.

And it could be the final straw for Red Bull after team boss Christian Horner revealed the team “cannot run on one leg”.

Perez has scored just 11 points in the last five races while Max Verstappen has brought in 94 in a season in which Red Bull are under pressure from McLaren.

“I saw this with a stomach ache, when I saw that yellow flag,” Doornbos told Ziggo Sport of Perez’s latest crash. “He had a good practice. He was completely in it, and the momentum was back.

“I saw that yellow flag in the middle sector, and I saw Perez’s figure not moving anymore, and then the image of that crash came.

“This is so unnecessary. You are already in a good position to continue from Q1, and that body language said it all, in my opinion.”

He added: “I saw Perez in his prime at Force India or Racing Point in Eau Rouge pull the car out of a drift with that pink car, and you thought: this is the man with the fastest hands in the paddock.

“How is this possible? He has to let that other car go. He thinks: ‘Max is half a second faster again, should I take a bit more risk here? Maybe Max will do that too’.

“The team had also already said that he should let Max go, because he is racing against one of the greatest drivers that ever existed. He has to focus on his own car.”

Doornbos reckons if Perez’s crash damage bill for this season isn’t already knocking on five million, it will reach that before the year is over.

“It happened in Monaco, Canada, Silverstone, and Budapest,” he said. “He may have driven five million in damage so far. That really adds up. Monaco was already 2.5 million in damage.

“He will reach five million this year. That simply comes off your budget cap. This has an impact on the team on all fronts.”

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Sergio Perez is holding Red Bull ‘hostage’

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko confirmed there will be talks about Red Bull’s driver line-up after the Belgian Grand Prix when F1 quietens down for the summer break.

Doornbos has urged Red Bull to drop Perez but admits the team is a “bit stuck” as they cannot rely on either VCARB driver, Yuki Tsunoda or Daniel Ricciardo.

In fact, he reckons Red Bull’s best bet to replace Perez has already committed to Audi, and that’s Nico Hulkenberg.

“It’s about having self-confidence. It’s really painful, but that’s also top sport, that if someone doesn’t perform, that at some point it’s over. This is tragic and painful.

“Tsunoda also wrote off the car. Ricciardo did have a good day, but it actually changes every day.

“Red Bull really has a problem. He’s actually holding that team hostage. In the past, that rotation went much faster. They’re just a bit stuck. There’s probably someone who says: ‘I’m very happy to be number two next to Max, and I’ll drive three-tenths behind him.’

“However, a driver who fits that description has already announced his switch from Haas to Audi.”

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