“Back to reality” as Sergio Perez hit with “on his way out the door” verdict

Sergio Perez could follow Daniel Ricciardo out of the Red Bull exit door unless he improves quickly, fears David Coulthard.

Perez has scored only one point in the past two grands prix combined, as Red Bull have fallen behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

A late crash in Azerbaijan while he was challenging for a podium was unfortunate, but Perez followed it up with a drab P10 in Singapore.

“He did brilliantly in Baku but one swallow doesn’t make a summer,” David Coulthard assessed for Channel 4.

“One good result is not what you expect. He is clearly the No2 driver in that team.

“There was so much relief off the back of Baku. Here, it was back to reality.

“If he doesn’t get solid points for the remainder of the year then, like Daniel Ricciardo, it looks like he’s on the way out of the door.

“It could be the same situation for Perez.”

Ricciardo’s lack of form for RB this season is set to result in him being replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season.

Perez avoided being replaced at the midway stage, and received additional backing from Red Bull.

But with McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri each running at the front at every round, Perez’s lack of points has caused an issue for Red Bull in the constructors’.

Max Verstappen’s P2 in Singapore, behind Norris, offered some respite for Red Bull.

“They came with a set-up which was based around the difficulties they had last year. It didn’t work,” Coulthard analysed.

“They reverted to something a bit more in their window of operation.

“Max was brilliantly capable of extracting a lap which secured them the front row. Maybe it could have been different if Oscar hadn’t had his difficulties.

“But the stopwatch doesn’t lie. The grid was it was. Second was the best they could hope for.”