Red Bull explain Perez 'priority' to end ongoing 'hurt'

Christian Horner has revealed that all inside Red Bull are 'hurting' in seeing the demise of Sergio Perez but that there is an over-riding priority within the team to again help him deliver.

Red Bull surprised early in the week when it was announced that Perez would continue to serve as Max Verstappen's team-mate for the remainder of the season despite the feeling he would be replaced over the summer break.

The decision was taken even though Perez has suffered an alarming slump in form that has placed Red Bull's defence of its constructors' championship in severe jeopardy.

The 33-year-old Mexican has scored just 28 points over the last eight grands prix - in contrast to Verstappen's 141 - which has allowed McLaren to move to within 42 points of Red Bull at the top of the constructors' standings.

Speaking after the Belgian Grand Prix, and prior to Monday's meeting to discuss Perez's future, Horner said enough to outline what is now required of his driver once the season resumes later this month with the Dutch Grand Prix.

"The priority is to support Checo and to understand what he needs," said Horner. "We all want him to turn it around. We all want to see him deliver.

"He's as acutely aware as anybody that we need both cars performing, which is what we had at the beginning of the year, and that's where we need to get back to."

Perez "a massive team player"

One of the likely considerations on the table was the fact that Perez has so far proved a loyal deputy to Verstappen, aiding the three-time F1 champion when required, and who has rarely rocked the boat when it comes to the dynamics of the squad.

There was always the possibility that in promoting Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson, team harmony may have been disrupted, even if constructors' championship hopes were boosted.

"Of course, you take so many things into consideration, but there's been a great partnership between the two of them," assessed Horner regarding Verstappen and Perez as a pairing.

"Checo is a great team player, a massive team player, and that's why we took him at the end of 2020 to put him in alongside Max.

"He's won six, seven races for us [sic, five], was second in the world championship last year, [and has scored] goodness knows how many podiums. It's been the most successful combination we've had as a driver pairing.

"What's frustrating for everybody is Checo struggling because nobody wants to see him struggle. Everybody wants to see him succeed.

"The team has been and is right behind him. Everybody wants to see him succeed because it hurts seeing him in the situation that he is."