As Max Verstappen clinched his 60th Grand Prix victory at the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix amidst tricky conditions and fierce competition, his teammate Sergio Perez, buoyant from signing a new 2-year contract, found himself in a contrasting situation, miserably qualifying 16th and enduring an even more miserable race. Perez has now qualified outside the top 10 for three consecutive races, a stark contrast to his previous six races where both his qualifying and race performances were commendable, securing 4 podiums and multiple top 10 finishes.

Looking solely at statistics, and considering Red Bull’s diminishing advantage, Perez has indeed performed solidly. However, his recent string of poor performances in the last three races has brought his annual mid-season slump to light much earlier than anticipated. Canada, in particular, proved to be disastrous for a driver of his experience.

These last three races have effectively nullified the consistency Perez displayed in the initial six races. Despite this, Red Bull has opted to extend Perez’s contract for another two years. Historically, Red Bull has shown no leniency towards underperforming drivers, regardless of the margin, and Perez’s recent struggles only amplify this disparity.

Key figures like Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s Minister Without a Proper Job Description, have endorsed Perez’s contract extension. Marko, notorious for his harsh criticisms of underperforming drivers, has taken a more analytical approach this time. Speaking to Servus TV a few days ago, he remarked:

“It’s not the car, you can see that with Max. I think it’s more psychological.

“When the conditions change, he finds it much more difficult. But the fact that it’s already the third time is painful.”

The word on the street is that Max Verstappen urged Red Bull to re-sign Perez, and it appears his influence was one of the key factors in Perez retaining his seat despite his tendency to lose form midway through the season.