Sergio Perez backed by Helmut Marko amid form slump: "He has an opponent who is very difficult to beat"

Sergio Perez has received the backing of Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko amidst a surprise slump in the form in the last 3 races. The Mexican was riding high after his win in Baku.

He had convincingly beaten his teammate, Max Verstappen, in a head-to-head battle and talked confidently about being a potential championship rival this season.

Unfortunately for Perez, the momentum took a turn for the worse in the very next race. In Miami, Verstappen beat him despite starting the race in P9. In Monaco, the Mexican had a horrible weekend where he could not score any points and finally, in Barcelona, another poor weekend for Perez meant that Verstappen was able to win the race unchallenged.

Talking to F1Insider about Perez, Helmut Marko said that he had a chat with the 33-year-old and was confident that things would take a turn for the better. Marko also touched upon the fact that Perez was going up against Verstappen, who was incredibly hard to beat anyway. He said:

"After his rather weak performances in Miami and Monaco, I just reminded Sergio that he should concentrate on his job. There, he didn’t take advantage of the possibilities that were in him. In the team with Max, he has an opponent who is very difficult to beat. And not just from him, but from all the drivers on the grid at the moment."

He added:

“He should therefore concentrate on himself and not try desperately to beat Max. He should be there when things aren’t going optimally for Max. Sergio’s good race after the failed qualifying session in Barcelona was again the first step in the right direction.”

Sergio Perez's replacement rumors 'all nonsense', says Helmut Marko

Marko also clarified that Sergio Perez's replacement rumors were nothing but a figment of the media's imagination. Addressing the rumors, Marko said that Perez's seat has never been in jeopardy. He stated:

"It’s all nonsense. Sergio’s place has never been in jeopardy and will never be in jeopardy. He is an important element in achieving the goals we have set for this year. We want to finish first and second in the Drivers’ Championship and become Constructors’ World Champions as quickly as possible.”

Perez is 53 points behind Max Verstappen in the championship and he will be hoping to string together a few races that bring him back into contention. Can he get that done in Canada? We'll have to wait and watch.