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Sergio Perez looks set to remain with Red Bull Racing beyond the F1 summer break.
The Mexican driver’s future was discussed at a meeting following the Belgian Grand Prix amid speculation he was on the outer at the team.
While it was expected the 34-year-old would be ousted from the drive, he now looks to have retained his seat for now.
“Checo remains a Red Bull Racing driver despite recent speculation and we look forward to seeing him perform at tracks he has previously excelled at after the summer break,” said Horner in a statement issued by a Red Bull Racing spokesperson.
Perez is in the midst of a form slump that has seen him contribute only 28 points in the last eight grands prix.
In that time, Red Bull Racing has seen its lead in the constructors’ championship slashed by McLaren, with the two squads now split by just 42 points. The gap had been 115 after the Miami Grand Prix.
F1 prize money is paid out based on the finishing result in the constructors’ championship.
It’s understood a clause in Perez’s contract afforded Red Bull the power to remove him should he enter the F1 summer break more than 100 points behind Max Verstappen.
The gap between the pair currently stands at 146 points.
Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson were flagged as potential replacements for Perez at the senior team.
The pair will both drive a current-spec RB at Imola on Wednesday, an outing initially billed – even internally – as a shootout.
That outing is still expected to go ahead, with the pressure now on Ricciardo to retain his position at RB.
Horner’s statement alleviates the immediate pressure on Perez, though it is not categorical.
While it specifically mentions remaining “a Red Bull Racing driver,” all four Red Bull backed drivers on the grid hold a contract with the senior team.
Furthermore, it fails to specify that Perez will remain with the team until the end of the season, leaving the door open for potential change at a later point.
