“They are hunting in pairs”: Christian Horner talks about rival team pairings as Sergio Perez continues his unimpressive form

Red Bull boss Christian Horner urged Sergio Perez to improve his performance for the team to stay in contention for the Constructor's Championship. With rivals Ferrari and McLaren hunting in pairs, the team is relying heavily on lone wolf Max Verstappen.

Ferrari secured a commanding 1-2 finish at COTA, while McLaren drivers finished fourth and fifth, sandwiching Max Verstappen. In contrast, Sergio Perez trailed far behind, finishing seventh—one minute off the race winner and forty seconds behind his Red Bull teammate.

After the US Grand Prix, Christian Horner emphasized the importance of having two drivers fighting for the Constructor's title. He pointed out the strong pairing of Ferrari and McLaren and stressed that Perez must improve his performance if Red Bull hopes to compete with their rivals.

"For Checo we really need to have the delta between the two drivers closer, because you could see two Ferraris, two McLarens — they’re hunting in pairs," Horner was quoted by Fox Sports. He added via GPblog, "So that's where we really need for the constructors to have Checo come into play."

The Red Bull team principal is hopeful that Perez will return to form at his home race in the Mexican GP, scheduled for October 25-27. He also highlighted the need for the Mexican driver to qualify better to compete with the rest of the frontrunners.

"Hopefully, with the support he will receive in Mexico, it will give him that boost. Obviously when you qualify out of position, you lose so much time coming through tail end cars in the top ten that you've then lost contact with the rest of the race," he added.

Perez has scored 19 points since returning from the summer break, compared to 77 scored by his teammate Verstappen. He was in contention for a podium result in Baku, until his late-race tangle with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, dropped him out of the points.

With five rounds left in the 2024 F1 season, McLaren (544) leads the standings 40 points ahead of Red Bull Racing (504), with Ferrari (496) a mere eight points behind the defending champions.

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner praises Liam Lawson's veteran-esque performance

Daniel Ricciardo's replacement, Liam Lawson, made a remarkable return for his second F1 stint. Starting 19th on the grid, he crossed the finish line in ninth place, finishing five spots ahead of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner praised Lawson's performance, comparing it to that of a veteran driver, and noted that he executed a great race. The 50-year-old Brit was quoted by RacingNews365.com as saying:

"I thought he jumped in and looked like a veteran, to be honest with you. He's a great and he can be very happy with that drive. I thought he drove a great grand prix. Starting 19th, finishing in the points, some great overtakes, so he should be pleased with that."

The 22-year-old New Zealander is in contention to replace the underperforming Sergio Perez on the senior team. Lawson made a strong statement with his F1 return and has five more rounds to build on his performance.