Is Perez strong enough to handle the noise? 'It's bigger at Red Bull'

The pressure continues to grow for Sergio Perez who has had a string of poor performances this season. The Red Bull Racing driver has not been on the podium this season since the Chinese Grand Prix. As the title battle continues to develop, the Mexican must improve if he wishes to remain at the team as Max Verstappen's teammate.

Despite Perez signing a two-year extension with the Austrian team, his contract has been called into question given his poor form this season. As Formula 1 enters round 13 of the season, he must begin to improve, given his teammate cannot win the Constructors on his own. Speaking to GPblog among others in the paddock, Perez acknowledged the challenging situation he is in: "It's difficult to shut down the external noise but at the end of the day, I come here to give my very best, my maximum effort. And when I'm here, when I'm at home training, when I'm with the team in the simulator, I focus on the important stuff," he explained.

Nevertheless, he is adamant he wishes to remain with the team: "I think the noise is obviously a lot bigger when you are at Red Bull, but I think it's the beauty of this challenge. It's why I love this, it's why I decided to sign and extend my contract with the team because I love the challenge. It's really hard, but it takes absolutely everything out of you, and this is why I want to continue here."

Has the pressure increased ahead of the summer break for Perez?

With just two more races before the summer break, Perez must demonstrate he can perform. Although his teammate Verstappen has defended him, Helmut Marko has admitted his poor form brings turmoil for the entire team. There are also claims that the Mexican could be replaced at the team by reserve driver Liam Lawson, although Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsundoa disagrees with this decision. Nonetheless, the Red Bull driver doesn't believe the stakes have become higher: "Absolutely not, these next two races give the same amount of points and at the end of the day what we need is points from now to the end of the year so it doesn't change anything and these next races for me."