Martin Brundle’s glum Sergio Perez verdict after horror show in Mexico

Red Bull must pull the plug on Sergio Perez’s stay based on his performance in Mexico, Martin Brundle believes.

Perez delivered a dreadful round at his home grand prix in Mexico City.

After confessing his season so far had been terrible, Perez qualified 18th in Mexico.

He then got a five-second penalty for positioning his car too far forwards on the grid, and later became embroiled in a skirmish with RB’s Liam Lawson - the driver who is vying to take his place.

Perez finished drably 17th - the last of the drivers who completed the grand prix - before blasting Lawson for their contact.

Sky Sports’ Brundle said: “Lawson left him a car’s width on the inside. He was moving in the braking zone.

“I’d give it 60 percent Lawson’s fault, 40 percent Perez’s fault. It damaged Perez’s car.

“It was all a bit clumsy because it’s a clumsy corner.”

Brundle said about Perez’s gaffe on the starting grid: “His front axle should be on the yellow line. He’s a long, long way past.

“That’s giving him a head-start, effectively.

“You have to penalise that. It was a mistake.”

Danica Patrick added: “It’s a big mistake for someone of that experience. He was oblivious, he had no idea.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner stopped short of confirming that Perez would stay in his car amid a run of desperate performances.

He is contracted next year but Lawson’s introduction at RB is widely expected to be an audition to replace Perez.

Brundle said about Perez: “He’s got a contract for next year. That’s the only thing Sergio can say.

“But on this performance? If this is his level now?

“Red Bull cannot take that into next year.”

Red Bull lost the constructors’ championship lead largely because McLaren had Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri scoring points, while Perez was not.

“Last year, Max Verstappen won the constructors’ for them without Checo,” said Danica Patrick.

“Now, having not won since Barcelona, you need both teammates to run well. And he’s not running well at all.

“He seems confident that he’ll be back. He might know something that we don’t know.”