Marko casts doubt on Perez Red Bull future after Ricciardo dinner

Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko has cast doubt on Sergio Perez's future with the team after enjoying dinner with Daniel Ricciardo over the summer break.

Mexican Perez struggled for form midway through the first half of the season, with a streak of five races without a Q3 appearance conspiring to leave him 125 points behind Max Verstappen, albeit remaining second in the Drivers' standings.

A return to form of sorts before the summer break has provided optimism that Perez can rediscover full confidence in the final 10 races of the season.

Despite his patchy form, Perez's place with Red Bull has been defended by Marko and Team Principal Christian Horner, who both insisted his contract for next season will be honoured.

But seemingly U-turning on his previous comments, Marko told Kleine Zeitung.

"Nothing is 100 per cent certain in Formula 1, there simply is no such thing.

"There are always performance-related situations somewhere that need to be talked about. We'll take a look at it and discuss how to proceed in Zandvoort, then we'll know more."

Ricciardo dinner

When Ricciardo made his return to F1 with AlphaTauri at the Hungarian Grand Prix, further pressure was applied to Perez's position.

The Australian met Marko for dinner in Austria during the summer shutdown, with the Motorsport Advisor explaining: "That seemed logical when he is in Graz.

"Daniel, has a very positive personality, a successful career and incredible experience.

"His drive and power have provided a real jolt to AlphaTauri. It was a real motivational injection."