Perez backed to keep Red Bull seat by former boss

Former F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer has revealed who he thinks should replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

The Mexican driver has been under increased pressure to perform and stay in the sport, with him being out of contract at the end of the season.

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Although Perez secured the team’s first one-two finish in the world championship, the 34-year-old was outclassed by team-mate Max Verstappen, who finished with more than double his points tally.

Perez remains in the running for the Red Bull seat next season, but several other drivers have been linked with the defending champions, including Carlos Sainz and McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Szafnauer: I'd replace Checo with Checo

Previously the team principal of Alpine and Aston Martin, Szafnauer was in charge at Racing Point when Perez was at the team and oversaw the Mexican’s first win in F1 at the Sakhir GP in 2020.

Speaking to the media at the launch event of his new app EventR, the American revealed who he would have over Perez in the Red Bull seat next season – Perez himself.

"I was in Abu Dhabi two days ago doing this F1 thing and I was asked, 'If you were Christian Horner, who would you replace Checo with?” he said.

"And, knowing Checo as well as I do, I said, 'I would replace Checo with Checo'. If I were Christian, I would still keep him for next year. Let's not forget, in the first year [2021] Max won [the title] partly because of Checo and partly because of the circumstances.

"But there are races that got [Verstappen] to that win and that was when Checo got the nickname in Mexico as the 'Minister of Defence'. He did that. Yeah, he's had some lows, but this year from what I can see, apart from a couple of races where I think he should have finished a bit higher, I think he's doing it."

Qualifying has proved to be a weakness for Perez, having not made Q3 on nine occasions in 2023, and while Szafnauer admitted that Saturday’s are not his strong point, he claimed that his strengths more than make up for it.

"Checo's strength has always been racecraft - he's never been a great qualifier,” he said.

"There wasn't many times that I could count when he worked for me where I thought, 'Why would you do that?' during a race. There's only one time I can remember, but the rest of the time he is very good at overtaking without making mistakes. He's really, really good at it.

"When he was with [Nico] Hulkenberg [at Force India], Hulk would always get him over a lap, but by the end of the race, because Checo could manage his tyres, Checo would get him. He beat Hulkenberg in the championship that year, mainly because of his ability to manage the tyres. Twelve laps in, Hulkenberg would be on the radio, 'My rear tyres are gone!' But Checo, never."

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