"If it were me, I'd say 'it's time'" - Danica Patrick shares strong opinion on Sergio Perez’s future in F1

F1 presenter Danica Patrick signaled Red Bull driver Sergio Perez towards his retirement after another disappointing performance during the qualifying of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Patrick suggested that she would have retired if put in Perez's situation.

Checo, who was eliminated in Q1 during the qualifying session, has been under the critics' radar for a long time. His performance has been rather subpar compared to that of his teammate, Max Verstappen's. The team fell to third place in the Constructors' standings despite the latter leading the WDC.

Amid Perez's questionable performances, former NASCAR driver (currently an F1 presenter) Danica Patrick also discussed his performances. She mentioned that he has had a competitive career, and if she was in his place, she would have thought of retiring.

"I don’t know," Patrick said. "He’s done so many great things, won so many races. I think that, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to look like that anymore. I’d just say ‘it’s time’."

There is currently a 242-point gap between the teammates. As mentioned, Verstappen is leading WDC, meanwhile, Perez is down in eighth place.

He has been speculated to be replaced by the team in the next season, despite a two-year extension that he was given earlier. Although his contract promises him a seat till 2026, his performance has hampered his chances to stay with the team.

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Red Bull's Helmut Marko on Sergio Perez's performance: "Contracts are useless"

As mentioned, the Mexican driver was given a two-year extension earlier this season which was followed by his disappointing performances. The car is partly to blame as RBR has lost its dominance in the F1 grid. However, that still does not justify Perez's recent results.

Discussing Sergio Perez's current contract, team advisor Dr Helmut Marko claimed that F1 is a "meritocracy" and that a contract is "useless" if the driver is not performing up to the team's expectations.

“Perez may have a contract, but Formula 1 is a meritocracy. If the performance is not right, even contracts are useless. At the end of the season, we will sit down together and decide who is the best team-mate for Verstappen at Red Bull,” Marko said.

Sergio Perez has been a part of the team since the 2021 season. While he has been a strong driver in the past two seasons, 2024 has been rather difficult for him. He is speculated to be replaced by Liam Lawson next season.