Liam Lawson is set to represent Red Bull Racing in the Pirelli tire test at the Silverstone circuit this Thursday. The New Zealander will be behind the wheel of the 2024 model, the RB20. Lawson’s scheduled appearance has sparked fresh speculation about the future of Pérez at Red Bull.
A year ago, following the British GP at Silverstone, Daniel Ricciardo was given the opportunity to represent Red Bull in the Pirelli tire test. Subsequently, it was announced that he would immediately take over Nyck de Vries’ seat at AlphaTauri, currently known as Visa RB. The Australian made his comeback at the next GP in Hungary.
Whether Pérez faces the same fate as Nyck de Vries remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the pressure is mounting on Max Verstappen’s Mexican teammate, who was recently offered a new contract until 2026. The apparent certainty has not improved his performance so far.
‘You Can’t Hide’
Pérez ruined his qualifying round at Silverstone on Saturday by sliding off the track in Q1. He will start the race later today from P19. In the championship standings, Pérez is already 119 points behind Verstappen after eleven races. He is currently fifth. The last time Pérez stood on the podium was at the end of April, at the GP in China. In his last five races, he has not scored higher than seventh place.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner acknowledged on Saturday after the qualifying round that Pérez’s slump cannot be denied. “This is a sport where you can’t hide, especially with Max Verstappen as a teammate,” Horner told Sky Sports. “Checo knows he’s being compared to the very best, and we need him there to support Max. We’re now dealing with two McLarens, two Ferraris, and two Mercedes. We desperately need two Red Bulls at the front.”
