Horner uncovers critical concern in Perez slump

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has conceded Sergio Perez's current form has left the team at a disadvantage compared to McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

The Mexican has come under pressure this season for a number of poor performances having initially challenged teammate Max Verstappen for race victories.

After picking up two wins in the opening four rounds, Perez went on a run of five events without a Q3 appearance - despite the RB19s dominance over the rest of the field - and fell out of contention for the Drivers' title.

Perez seemed to be back on form when finishing second at the Italian Grand Prix but a dismal run between the Singapore Grand Prix and Qatar Grand Prix, filled with incident, has left him in the clutches of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for second in the standings.

Rival concerns

With both championships already decided, Red Bull is under no threat for this term but focus is quickly turning to next season.

McLaren has made great strides with the development of its car whilst Mercedes and Ferrari are expected to explore a new avenue with their new machines next term, with Horner knowing that the team must have two performant drivers to remain at the top.

"We're fully behind him, we believe we know what he's capable of and that's the form that we want to find," Horner told media including RacingNews365.com.

"With the car we have, he's probably putting the pressure on himself.

"The most important thing for us is winning both the championships - we have done that - so what's the next best thing after that? It would be to have both your drivers first and second.

"You can see Mercedes have a pair, McLaren have a pair and Ferrari have a pair that are quite tight between the respective drivers.

"We had that in the earlier point of the year but as the season's gone on, we have become more variant.

"We just need to get Checo back to the best form he is capable of."