Red Bull senior figure tells Sergio Perez to “step up and perform” after an erratic F1 season so far 

Sergio Perez had a stellar start to his 2023 campaign, scoring two wins in the first four races of the season. Perez's early victories led many to believe we could be in for a title fight between the two Red Bull drivers this season.

However, the Mexican driver's form spiraled downwards in the next four races, and his dreams of a title disappeared like a whisper in the wind. Given his inconsistent results since F1's visit to Monaco, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has urged Perez to step up and deliver.

Marko also sent a clear message to Sergio Perez as he bluntly asked him to stop dreaming about world titles.

"Perez has had some very good races but also some very bad ones. He needs to step up and perform as well as he can. There is no need to dream about world titles," Marko told Austrian Media.

Following Max Verstappen's brilliant drive in Miami, converting a P9 start into a dominant win, Sergio Perez's results took a hit. Over the next three races in Monaco, Barcelona, and Montreal, Perez failed to make a Q3 appearance, despite driving the fastest car on the grid.

Sergio Perez has also not stood on the podium in the last three races, while his teammate has dominated week in and week out, leading every lap in his last three outings. Marko wants Perez to be present at the front end of the grid to pick up the pieces, in case something goes wrong for Verstappen.

Verstappen is the clear favorite for the championship as he currently leads Perez by 69 points in the drivers' standings. Fernando Alonso is now within reach of second place in the standings as he trails the second Red Bull driver by nine points. The Aston Martin driver also has more podium finishes than Perez.

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Helmut Marko dismisses rumors of Sergio Perez-Daniel Ricciardo swap

F1 Grand Prix of Australia

Ever since Daniel Ricciardo joined the Red Bull camp as the reserve driver, rumors of him replacing Sergio Perez started appearing. However, there is no such notion within the team, with Perez expected to remain with the Bulls until his contract ends in 2024.

Daniel Ricciardo's recent announcement to do test runs in Silverstone reignited the rumors as it coincided with Perez's slump. Helmut Marko dismissed such rumors, claiming the Australian driver's presence didn't threaten their second driver.

"A lot has been taken out of context. Daniel Ricciardo may be driving some tests, but that does not have much to do with the sporting side," he said.

Marko added that they wanted to evaluate Ricciardo's current form during the test in Silverstone.

"We will have Ricciardo in the car for three days after Silverstone for the tire test, and then you can evaluate where Ricciardo really stands," he added.