Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has claimed that there is a 'big chance' Sergio Perez could leave Red Bull during the summer break if his performances do not improve.
After finishing on the podium for four of the first five races this season, Checo has now failed to finish inside the top three since the Chinese Grand Prix back in April.
Come lights out in Hungary this weekend, it will be three months exactly since that race and the pressure is mounting on the Mexican to improve, and fast.
Despite putting pen to paper for next year and a possible further 12 months after that with Red Bull, it has not stopped many speculating that Max Verstappen could well have a new team-mate in 2025.
Sergio Perez has failed to keep pace with Max Verstappen in 2024
But Steiner has now insisted that Perez could even be out the door this year if the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix do not go well for him.
“I give it a big chance that if he doesn’t improve in the races before the summer break, after the summer break we will maybe see somebody else in the car," Steiner told The Red Flags podcast.
"The obvious candidate is Liam Lawson," he countined when asked who would replace Perez. "He’s there, he’s ready to go. He did a good job last year…
Guenther Steiner thinks change could be on the horizon at Red Bull
"I just see Liam Lawson getting that seat, if Checo does not do well in the next few races."
“I think the car is pretty good," Steiner continued. "Checo struggles at the moment. He finished second how many times this year? At the beginning of the season quite a few.
“He’s just in a struggle like Danny Ric [Ricciardo] had at McLaren, with Lando [Norris]. He’s just struggling to keep up, it’s a very similar situation. Once you’re down, it’s difficult to get up again.”
Perez is sixth in the drivers' standings on 118 points heading into Hungary, 137 points behind Verstappen.
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