Despite currently holding second place in the F1 drivers championship. Sergio Perez is seemingly not himself on the track anymore. Perez came into the 2023 season ferocious and ready to bring the fight to Max Verstappen. The pair shared the podium multiple times in the first half of the season however Perez started to fall out of form. The issues began in Monaco where Perez placed outside of the top 10 for the first time of the season.
Perez has had a string of positive results but the fire doesn’t seem to be there anymore. In the last outing at Suzuka in equal machinery Perez was not able to come anywhere near the pace of Max Verstappen. In addition Perez retired from the race in Suzuka. Despite the woes Perez has face recently he still holds second place in the drivers championship. However, with Mercedes knocking on the door Perez only leads by 33 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With 5 races left this season Perez is in the hot seat. Mor pressure has come from the fact that Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner stated, “I think Liam, it’s only a matter of time before he gets his opportunity and full-time chance. I think to have the three of them there is very strong for the group.”
Of course this statement doesn’t confirm that Lawson would replace Perez at Red Bull but it could have some merit. Lawson has hit the ground running outperforming Alpha Tauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda on multiple occasions. The feat is not entirely surprising considering Lawson has spend a large amount of time in the RB19 as a test driver. However, as Lawson succeeds the injured Daniel Ricciardo or Tsunoda can’t be happy about Lawson’s early success. Of course the pair aren’t concerned about their seats both having contract through 2024. However with Max Verstappen in his prime form and Perez waning. There may be a seat at Red Bull and Lawson may be in the running. Time will tell and we will keep you update as this story develops.