Pressure off Perez with 'big split' in points to Verstappen

Christian Horner believes the pressure will be off Sergio Perez due to the "big split" in points for the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship.

After winning the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is now 53 points ahead of Perez in the standings, owing to the Mexican's low points score in Melbourne and zero points in Monaco.

The Red Bull team boss believes that Perez now has nothing to lose, as the team still search for their first 1-2 finish in the championship having been denied by Charles Leclerc beating Perez to second in 2022.

"If you look at the points now, and there's a big split between the two of them, I think, if anything that should take pressure off him. And he has nothing to lose now," he told Sky Sports.

"I think he just needs to relax. He can breathe out and just drive like we know he's capable of, like he did in Azerbaijan and some of the early races this year."

Horner: Perez up against a driver in his top form

Verstappen has been on a run of race wins since the Miami GP, comfortably beating the next best car by over 20 seconds each race.

Given Verstappen's dominant pace over Perez and the rest of the field, Horner believes that any opposition to the Dutchman is going to find it tough to beat him while he's at the top of his form.

"There is not a driver out there today that would beat Max in that car. He's [Perez] up against a driver that is at the top of his form," Horner added.

"I think for Checo mentally, it's a really tough thing to deal with. But as I say, now there is a separation in the points that may actually take the pressure off him a little, and the expectation he's putting on himself.

"He needs to let go of that now and just be free to drive."