Sergio Perez has been told to improve his performances after a warning from Helmut Marko, but the Austrian has insisted that F1 owners Liberty Media had anything to do with the Mexican's continued presence on the grid.
Perez's Red Bull future hung in the balance heading into the summer break, after being criticised for a series of poor performances.
The Red Bull man has scored 24 points in the last six grand prix weekends, staggeringly low in comparison to the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri who have scored 86 and 96 points respectively.
The 34-year-old’s absence from the front of the field has allowed McLaren to close in on Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, where 42 points now separate the two teams.
Sergio Perez's Red Bull future was in jeopardyMcLaren are closing in on Red Bull
Did Red Bull make the right decision retaining Sergio Perez?
Whilst some have blasted Red Bull for retaining Perez, the team have defended their decision.
In his recent column for Speedweek, team chief Helmut Marko explained why they retained Perez, but also issued a warning to the star for the rest of the season.
“Sergio Pérez will continue to drive the Red Bull Racing car after the summer break, as there are now races on tracks where he was good last year and we are counting on stability,” Marko wrote.
“He has also shown good performances from time to time, and at the last race weekend in Spa he was very fast on Saturday, finishing third.
Helmut Marko discusses Red Bull's decision to retain Sergio Perez
“He was allowed to start from position 2 and according to the calculations, third place would have been possible.”
“Perez doesn't need to get faster, just more consistent. And given the alternatives, he is still our best solution.
“Reports that his continued commitment is due to Liberty Media's desire for him to race in Mexico are not true. They certainly want him to race in his home race, but our choice of driver is not based on Liberty Media's intentions.”
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
GP JAPAN
5 - 7 Apr
GP CHINA
19 - 21 Apr
GP USA
3 - 5 May
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
GP HUNGARY
19 - 21 Jul
GP BELGIUM
26 - 28 Jul
GP NETHERLANDS
23 - 25 Aug
GP AZERBAIJAN
13 - 15 Sep
GP SINGAPORE
20 - 22 Sep
GP MEXICO
25 - 27 Oct
GP BRAZIL
1 - 3 Nov
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024 
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 
Qatar Grand Prix 2024 
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024 
Innovatieweg 20C