Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has insisted "everybody is fully behind" Sergio Perez despite another qualifying failure at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Mexican failed to reach Q3 for the fourth race in succession having fallen foul of the Red Bull Ring track limits on all three flying laps in the second session on Friday, with his title challenge against teammate Max Verstappen seemingly ending with a whimper. Verstappen's margin stands at 69 points whilst Perez's pressure increased amid his dismal run of form. But asked if his future was at risk, Horner told Sky Sports F1 : "The most pressure he is under is the pressure he puts himself under. "Everybody is fully behind Checo, so any talk about replacing him is wide of the mark."
De Vries safe?
AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries qualified last after another poor performance, though teammate Yuki Tsunoda was also unable to reach Q2. The Dutchman's F1 future is hanging by a thread with Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko ramping up the pressure, though Horner cooled suggestions of a mid-season swap. "There is no plan to replace Nyck at the moment," he insisted. "We have got to give these guys a bit of time. Of course, we have got a junior programme, we have got Daniel in the stable as well. "He is going to be testing our car for the first time after Silverstone, so it will be great to see where he is at and where his confidence is at."
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