Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has revealed that he twice attempted to sign Red Bull driver Sergio Perez during his tenure at the American team, praising the Mexican star as a 'good guy' and a solid performer.
Steiner’s revelation may come as a surprise to many, especially in light of Perez’s current struggles at Red Bull, where his recent performances have put his future in jeopardy.
The former team principal, who rose to fame thanks in part to his appearances on Drive to Survive, admitted that he was taken aback by Red Bull’s decision to retain Perez for the remainder of the season, despite the Mexican driver’s poor run of form.
Perez has scored just 28 points in the last seven races, a streak that has raised serious concerns within the Red Bull camp.
Despite having a contract through 2025, there were widespread expectations that Perez might be replaced following the summer break.
Perez's poor form led to multiple reports that he was on his way out
Shock at Perez’s Red Bull survival
“I said live on German TV – ‘I don’t think we will see Checo back after the summer break,’” Steiner told RacingNews365. “But I think 90 per cent of people in Formula 1 said that, if not more, because his performance is just not there.”
Steiner explained that the signals coming from Red Bull’s top brass, including team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko, indicated that changes were imminent.
“All the messages we got from Christian and Helmut over the weekend were like, ‘We need to make some changes',” Steiner continued. “I was as surprised as you guys when I read it. Nothing against Checo, but he just didn’t perform.”
Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez has suffered similar dips in form in their careers
Comparing Perez to Ricciardo
Steiner likened Perez’s current struggles to those of Daniel Ricciardo during his difficult stint with McLaren and up-and-down performances at RB, suggesting that the Mexican driver is caught in a similar downward spiral.
“He’s obviously in this situation now where he cannot overcome, a little bit like Danny,” Steiner remarked. “He just cannot get out of the hole. I didn’t expect him to be there until the end of the year. But I’m sure they know what they’re doing.”
Perez, who began his F1 career in 2011, secured a seat with Red Bull in 2021 after consistently strong performances in midfield teams. However, his recent form has left many questioning whether he can continue to compete at the highest level.
Guenther Steiner was keen to sign Sergio Perez
Perez was on Haas’ radar
Steiner also revealed that Perez had been a top target for Haas during his time as team principal.
“He was a good driver at the time,” Steiner recalled. “His behaviour in the team was very good, he got on with people, which is always important. He was just a solid driver.”
Steiner noted that while Perez might not have been a championship-winning driver, he was a strong contender for a team like Haas, which was not in a position to attract top-tier talent.
“Maybe he was not a race winner or a championship-winning driver, but at Haas, we couldn’t ask someone of Lewis Hamilton’s class to come and join. But Checo was a potential candidate when we were doing well, so that’s what I saw in him.”
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