Christian Horner claims Sergio Perez is with Red Bull on ‘pure merit’ and not because of sponsors

Sergio Perez had a horrendous 2023 campaign at the pinnacle of motor racing.

Christian Horner claims Sergio Perez is with Red Bull on ‘pure merit’ and not because of sponsors

Christian Horner and Sergio Perez (Via: Imago)

Sergio Perez, the Red Bull F1 driver, has been making his trade with the Austrian outfit since 2021. He has so far had quite a few ups and downs but despite this, Christian Horner has claimed that Perez is not with the team because of sponsors.

Sergio Perez, being the only Mexican driver on the current grid, has a plethora of backing from various sponsors. It is widely believed that his sponsors have so far helped him to keep hold of his Red Bull seat.

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However, Christian Horner disagrees with this line of thought. He recently added, as reported by Speedcafe:

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Whatever sponsors we have are totally independent of any driver. Checo is in the car based on merit because we believe he is the best driver to be alongside Max. It has nothing to do with any of our partners.

Looking at the reaction of the Red Bull team principal, it is quite clear that the Austrian outfit does not employ the 33-year-old because of sponsors. They have him because they feel he is the best man to partner up with the prolific Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez will have several eyes on him in 2024

While Christian Horner has put his weight behind Sergio Perez, the latter’s deal with the mighty Red Bull team is slated to come to a close at the end of the upcoming camalign. His contract extension will be a major topic of discussion throughout 2024.

Sergio Perez (Via: News24)

Red Bull’s 2023 car, the RB19, proved too strong for rival teams, but despite this fact, Perez was unable to make the most of it. For this reason, he was heavily criticized from all angles last year by the fans, the media, etc.

Keeping in view everything that has been discussed above, the 2024 F1 season will be the most important campaign of Sergio Perez’s entire F1 career. He has no option but to deliver, otherwise, he will be shown the exit door at the end of the season.

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