Sergio Perez future at Red Bull Racing is uncertain, with team principal Christian Horner setting a mid-September deadline for the Mexican driver to prove he deserves a seat beyond the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Horner's Ultimatum: Improve or Step Aside

In an interview with Planet F1, Horner emphasized that Perez has the team's full support for next season but needs to step up his performance, particularly in qualifying.

"It's Checo's seat, and he's in the car because we believe he's the right driver," Horner told Planet F1. "But it's up to him to prove over the next nine months that he deserves to continue for 2025."

Horner acknowledged that Perez's seat is one of the most sought-after on the grid, with Red Bull having a pool of talented drivers internally and externally who could replace him.

"Of course, we have great talent in-house with Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda," Horner said. "So then, time will tell who gets it."

Areas for Improvement: Qualifying and Consistency

Horner specifically pointed to qualifying as an area where Perez needs to improve.

"The area he needs to focus on improving this year will be on Saturdays," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "We need to make sure his average qualifying position is much closer to Max Verstappen's because we know he has great pace, but we need him to start higher up the grid."

Horner also suggested that Perez needs to be more consistent in his race results.

"We can't afford to have too many cars between Max and Checo," Horner said. "The car has been very attractive to other drivers, so we don't lack options."

Pressure is on for Perez

With Horner's ultimatum and the abundance of talented drivers waiting in the wings, the pressure is on Perez to deliver in 2024. He has the talent and experience to succeed, but he needs to find a way to consistently match Verstappen's performance, especially on Saturdays, to secure his future with Red Bull beyond next season.

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img via: PlanetF1