P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen is adamant the onus is on Red Bull to rediscover the team’s competitiveness in F1 to help his struggling team-mate Sergio Perez.
Sergio Perez’s performance at Red Bull has come under scrutiny after a disappointing weekend in Mexico, where he finished outside the points, accumulating only 18 points in the last six races. This decline has caused Red Bull to fall to third place in the Constructors’ Championship. Max Verstappen’s own struggle with results has put pressure on his Drivers’ title chances as Ferrari and McLaren have surged ahead of Red Bull. Despite challenges, Verstappen maintains a strong lead and support for his teammate, stating that Perez’s improvement depends on Red Bull’s efforts to address issues. Speculation about Liam Lawson potentially replacing Perez at Red Bull persists, but Perez, under contract until 2026, remains confident in his position and dismisses rumors. Perez’s difficulties continued in Sao Paulo with a 13th-place qualification for the Sprint race, leading to uncertainty about his future at Red Bull.
