Sergio Perez’s Red Bull race engineer set to miss the upcoming Dutch F1 Grand Prix

After a disappointing first half of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Sergio Perez claimed he feels refreshed and ready to challenge rivals after the summer break. However, he will be without his race engineer Hugh Bird for the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix.

Perez has had a rough start to the 2024 season. Although he initially managed a few podium finishes, the Mexican driver began slipping behind rivals like McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in terms of outright performance.

Following a crash at Monaco, fans began speculating about Perez's exit from the Austrian team. However, he received a contract extension from Red Bull, confirming his place beside Max Verstappen for the next season.

Coming back from the mid-season summer break, Perez said he is feeling refreshed and ready to go during Red Bull’s official pre-event preview. The 34-year-old racer also shared news regarding his race engineer.

“Hugh my Race Engineer is expecting a baby very soon so will be spending some time at home and I wish him and his family the best of luck with their new arrival!” Perez announced.

“Woody, my Performance Engineer, will step up in the meantime,” he added.

It will be interesting to see how Hugh Bird's replacement will tackle Perez's strategy during the Dutch GP weekend.

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"A lot of guys get opportunities bring money" - Formula E driver Mitch Evans criticized F1 after Red Bull Racing retained Sergio Perez

Getting a seat in Formula 1 is not an easy task. Drivers are required to prove their mettle in junior Formula divisions like Formula 3 and Formula 2 to gain the attention of the top F1 teams.

During an interview with Total-Motorsport.com, Formula E racer Mitch Evans criticized F1 and claimed the sport doesn't provide an opportunity to several deserving drivers in favor of those who bring money or sponsors for the teams. Although he was one of the top performers during his F3 and F2 seasons, he added that he never got a chance to even take part in F1 testing.

“They are never going to take a punt on you for the sake of it. You can have all the data, the CV from junior categories, sim days but still not get an opportunity. It’s a weird sport. It doesn’t make any sense,” Evans said.

“A lot of guys get opportunities bring money. Look at (Sergio) Perez, he still brings money to Red Bull (Racing) and how can you with that? He’s not a bad driver but when you’re going up against that, it’s just very hard for anyone to get there on pure, pure merit right now," he added.

For reference, Sergio Perez is currently in the 7th position in the driver's table. The Mexican racer is 146 points adrift of the championship leader and his RBR teammate Max Verstappen.