“Its amazing how quickly the world can change”: Red Bull boss addresses VCARB drivers stepping up for the main team

Christian Horner refrained from commenting on whether the VCARB drivers are ready to step up to Red Bull Racing following their disappointing performances at the Mexican GP. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, Horner hinted that Sergio Perez’s future with the team will also be closely monitored over the next four races.

Yuki Tsunoda retired after a first lap clash with Alex Albon, while Liam Lawson finished second to last after incidents involving Franco Colapinto and Perez. Neither VCARB driver scored points, allowing Haas to move up to sixth in the constructors’ standings and extend its lead by 10 points. Horner acknowledged the rapidly shifting narrative, suggesting the question of whether either Faenza driver is ready to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull remains open. Regarding Perez, the Red Bull Racing CEO confirmed that his situation will be under scrutiny in the upcoming races.

Asked if the VCARB drivers were ready to step up to Red Bull given their performance in Mexico, Horner said:

“Look, the VCARB guys didn’t have a great day either. So that's going to be, it's amazing how quickly the world can change in seven days.”

Asked if Perez will see out the end of the season:

“Look, as I just said, that scrutiny is always going to be there, and there comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made. We're now third in the constructors' championship, our determination is to try and get back into a winning position, but it's going to be a tall order over these next four races.”

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Christian Horner claims the incident between Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez has been resolved

Christian Horner believes the clash between Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez at the Mexican GP highlights how fiercely the two teams race each other. However, Red Bull’s senior advisor, Helmut Marko, was more critical, emphasizing that drivers from the sister team should not be taking each other off-track.

The incident occurred on Lap 17 during a battle for tenth place, resulting in contact that left a hole in the sidepod of Perez’s RB20, costing Red Bull crucial points in the championship. To add to the tension, Lawson gave Perez a middle finger gesture as he overtook him in the closing laps to finish 16th. Horner revealed that the two drivers have since discussed the incident, with the young VCARB driver apologizing to Perez.

Asked about his opinion on the clash between Lawson and Perez, Horner said:

“Well first of all I think it demonstrates that you can see that the two teams do race each other and whilst having the same ownership are independent as the way that race each other and the way that they go racing. Now Leo was obviously he apologized, I think, to Checo for, you know, for the incident. And, you know, obviously there'll be lessons that come out of that. But, you know, frustrating, certainly for Checo's race to pick up the damage and lose valuable points.”

Commenting on the incident between the VCARB driver and Red Bull driver, Marko said:

“Checo was also very upset with Lawson. So I think we have to sit down and discuss it here. But we know Lawson is a very tough racer. He's very difficult to overtake. But it shouldn't be within, not teammates, but with sister teams. There should be more respect.”

Red Bull has slipped to third in the constructors’ championship, and the team needed Sergio Perez to secure valuable points. However, the Mexican driver has only managed to score 150 points in the last 20 races, while his teammate leads the drivers’ standings. Speculation about Perez’s future continues to grow, with rumors suggesting Liam Lawson as a potential replacement. With McLaren and Ferrari offering stiff competition, it’s crucial for both Red Bull drivers to deliver strong points finishes to keep pace with their rivals.