Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s struggles led the team to second place in the British GP and the Mexican’s future now appears to be in serious doubt
British GP has had an early upset after Red Bull confirmed that Sergio Perez will be replaced by Isack Hadjar in the first practice session.
Academy driver Hadjar was chosen to start in FP1 ahead of Perez, who has struggled for form this season. And rather than continue with the current order, the reigning Formula 1 outfit decided to make a surprise change to their line-up.
Despite starting the season with four podiums in the first five races, Perez’s results have dipped recently. After early retirements in Monaco and Montreal, the 34-year-old finished eighth and seventh at the recent Spanish and Austrian GPs.
Perez may still be part of this weekend’s action, but at least for the first practice session Hadjar will be in the driver’s seat. A tweet from the official Red Bull X account (via the Daily Express) read: “Welcome back Isack Hadjar. Our young driver in the Checo car in FP1 at Silverstone.”
Team principal Christian Horner has admitted that Red Bull’s number two is under pressure to produce results to support Max Verstappen’s bid for a fourth consecutive world championship. And now the decision has been made to give a chance to newcomer Hadjar in the cockpit.
This is not the first time fans have seen 19-year-old Hadjar in Red Bull colors after he took part in practice ahead of last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, this opportunity is seen as a much greater opportunity to secure a position that could potentially become a more permanent position.
Perez feels the heat will step up his game, especially after recently signing a new two-year contract with Milton Keynes. However, his recent performances did not reflect the improvement that would be expected from a driver in the safe seat.
His results seem to be on the decline as he has recently struggled to finish on the podium. With McLaren emerging as a serious contender for the top spots, Verstappen needs support now more than ever.
Sergio Perez has struggled for form recently (Photo: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Franco-Algerian prospect Hadjar has been turning heads in this season’s Formula 2 championship with Campos Racing. two wins if he is second overall. Heading the list is Estonian Paul Aron, a former member of the Mercedes youth program and Formula E competitor.
Verstappen, 26, extended his lead in the drivers’ standings to 81 points on Sunday despite finishing fifth at the Austrian GP. A contentious collision with Lando Norris earned the Dutchman a 10-second penalty, but Norris’ subsequent retirement meant that Verstappen extended his lead further in the standings.
Red Bull’s top driver has won seven of 11 F1 races this season, but recent performances have cast doubt on the title race. Before his final finish in Austria, Norris, who celebrated his first F1 win in Miami earlier this year, had claimed first place in five of his last six races.
Red Bull junior Hadjar was previously a training driver for AlphaTaur (Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool)
The decision could be just a step to comply with F1 rules, which require teams to allocate two free practice sessions by a driver during the season who did not compete in two GPs. But the timing also seems too fortuitous for Red Bull to put
Hadjar in the Silverstone session.
The teenager finished 17th in the previous two F1 practices – with AlphaTauri in Mexico and Red Bull in Abu Dhabi. However, he will aim for a stronger performance at Silverstone this weekend as Perez’s varied form gives him a chance to impress..
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