Natalie Pinkham posts response to “condemn Sergio Perez” interview

F1 broadcaster Natalie Pinkham has posted a friendly picture alongside Sergio Perez - after an awkward TV interview with Christian Horner.

Sky Sports’ Pinkham was quizzing the Red Bull team principal about the ongoing struggles of his driver, Perez, last weekend in Zandvoort.

Pinkham asked why Red Bull decided to keep faith in Perez, and Horner abruptly replied: “Well, who would you put in?”

Pinkham said: “I’m not the boss of Red Bull.”

Horner responded: “No, no but who would you change him for? Why would you change?”

Pinkham said: “Why have you turned it back on me? It’s not my decision. I’m interested to know.

“Is that because there isn’t an obvious candidate to step up? Is that why you’ve held onto him?”

Horner continued: “If we felt there was something better, we would have changed it by now.”

Horner then said to Pinkham “you are very quick to condemn Sergio”.

But the TV broadcaster has cheekily responded by posting two happy pictures of herself alongside Perez.

“Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see,” her caption read.

However, the under-performing Perez will know that he must deliver results soon to justify Horner’s faith.

Red Bull were widely tipped to make a driver change during the F1 summer break but they insisted that Perez would remain in the car, and they would make the necessary adjustments so he could return to form.

He finished sixth last weekend at Zandvoort but the form of McLaren is ramping up the pressure on Perez.

McLaren have cut the deficit to just 30 points behind Red Bull at the top of the constructors’ standings ahead of this weekend’s F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Lando Norris, who won last week in the Netherlands, could drag McLaren even closer in Italy this weekend unless Perez is able to join the scrap at the very front of the F1 grid.