Marko: 'You don't want to hear an answer from me this close to Mexico'

Perez experienced a very disappointing weekend in Qatar. In Friday's qualifying, the Mexican was once again knocked out in Q2, and a day later, the hoped-for revenge did not materialise: Perez crashed out and scored no points on Saturday. Sunday's Grand Prix was also one to quickly forget. Only one point was taken by the 33-year-old driver, mainly due to three time penalties for exceeding the track limits.

It is proof that Perez is uncomfortable in the RB19 at the moment. But how should this continue? The season has five races left, and more bad results like this will ensure that Red Bull can write off its first one-two in the drivers' championship. Lewis Hamilton is only 30 points behind the second Red Bull driver.

The Mexican Grand Prix should normally be the highlight of the season for Perez. But, in this form, it might actually be a new low, a low point that could convince Red Bull not to continue with Verstappen's current teammate as a result of the pressure getting bigger and bigger, possibly obvious.

Significant reaction Marko

Speaking to OE24, Marko was confronted with words from Gerhard Berger, a close friend of Marko himself. Berger stated, "It would probably be wisest, and in Perez's own interest, to leave Red Bull".

"You don't want to hear an answer to that from me so soon before the Mexican Grand Prix...," responded Marko, who, after further questioning, elaborated a little further on the subject. "Berger knows from his own experience. He drove in the team with [Ayrton] Senna and had to accept that there was someone faster and better."

Perez has proven this year not to be the driver who can handle pressure well. And that pressure will be there in Mexico, with tens of thousands of enthusiastic Mexicans in the stands. The race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez could cause Perez to fall into a pit he cannot climb out of, and then Red Bull will have to intervene. But will they intervene?

Lack of (good) alternatives

Perez's luck is that Red Bull, at this point in time, that there are few better ready to step in immediately. Alexander Albon might have been the most suitable driver to relieve Perez at Red Bull. But he is no longer part of Red Bull's junior programme. The British-Thai driver is excelling weekly at Williams and seems ready for a step up. However, Albon is still under contract with the Grove-based formation, so he is not an option.

Liam Lawson has only a few races of experience at the pinnacle of motorsport, and putting him directly alongside Max Verstappen - despite his fine performances this year - may be a bridge too far. Daniel Ricciardo has yet to prove himself anyway. At McLaren, he did not come into his own, and at AlphaTauri, he has not yet been able to show he is back to the level of five years ago due to his injury.

What about Yuki Tsunoda, then? That could be an option, but neither Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko has been particularly complimentary about the Japanese driver's performance. Tsunoda is adequate, but there is nothing to suggest that he needs to count on promotion to Red Bull. What also comes into play is that from 2026, he will move to Aston Martin with Honda, which will supply engines there.