Sergio Perez's position at Red Bull is still under threat, even though he currently has a contract that extends into 2025-2026.
Before the team's mid-2024 slump in performance, the gap between Perez and teammate Max Verstappen was so pronounced that Red Bull seriously considered replacing the Mexican driver.
Although Perez survived the summer break, rumors continue to circulate, with one journalist suggesting that he may announce his retirement at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix.
In response, Perez took to social media with a meme from The Wolf of Wall Street, declaring, "I'm not leaving!"
However, Christian Horner and Dr. Helmut Marko have both reiterated recently that Perez's contract does not guarantee him a seat if his performance falters.
"There is only a guarantee in Formula 1 if you perform accordingly," Marko told sport.de.
"We all know that Checo has fluctuations," Marko continued.
"Especially when the car is changed at short notice, he needs more time to adapt."
Marko also acknowledged that McLaren's driver lineup is currently stronger than Red Bull's, a situation that is contributing to the team's struggles.
"In terms of speed, he can do it. He just has fluctuations that are becoming more and more unpredictable," Marko explained.
"That is certainly a factor why McLaren is stronger than us at the moment in terms of driver pairing," he said.
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes the issues could be tied to Adrian Newey's car design.
"In my experience, Adrian Newey has always made very precise cars," Villeneuve told Marca. "This is not a car for everyone."
"He makes cars for exceptional drivers, while the average driver will suffer in them. The exceptional driver only has a narrow window to work within, but they do very well within that window," Villeneuve added.
Perez, dealing with personal driving challenges, team difficulties, and constant media pressure, admits that the 2024 season has been "really hard."
"Imagine having a car with so many limitations that you start the weekend knowing that you can't do anything about it," Perez told DAZN. "I thought I could crash at any moment because I had no control over the car."
"And then there's the pressure from the media that Red Bull brings you. Everyone - the people around you, the whole world - judges you, believing you are not as good as you used to be," Perez added.
"This year has been exceptionally difficult.
"My teammate was winning, he was doing well, and every time I was having problems," he concluded.
