Sergio Perez’s future at Purple Bull isn’t linked as to whether or not he finishes second within the championship, Christian Horner has clarified.

Perez crashed out of his house race in Mexico on the first nook, the place he had been out-qualified by AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo.

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Perez’s contract runs till the tip of 2024 however Ricciardo’s return to AlphaTauri earlier this 12 months raised hypothesis he could be changed earlier than then.

Ricciardo, who’s contracted to race with AlphaTauri subsequent 12 months, completed seventh in Mexico Metropolis.

Purple Bull has insisted all 12 months it intends to proceed with Perez, however rumours of a change intensified after the race.

Whereas Max Verstappen has totally dominated the 12 months within the different automobile, Perez is but to wrap up second — Purple Bull has by no means had each its drivers end within the prime two slots of a drivers’ championship.

Requested if Perez needed to get that accomplished to make sure he noticed out the ultimate 12 months of his contract, Horner mentioned: “No, it isn’t as binary as that.

You have to have a look at the circumstances and so forth. Checo has an settlement with us for subsequent 12 months, and that is our intention — for him to be within the automobile in 2024. We’ll give him all of the help that we are able to in order that he finishes second. There isn’t any prerequisite that if he would not end second, you are out.

“He is bought three races now to transform that second place, there’s 20 factors between him and Lewis. He is had some misfortune, he is had some points. However we nonetheless imagine he can do it between now and the tip of the 12 months.”

Perez crashed out in Mexico whereas going for the lead at Flip 1, saying he noticed a niche and went for it.

He later referred to as it the “saddest” race of his profession.

Regardless of Perez’s poor type for a lot of this season Horner is bound he can flip issues round earlier than the tip of the season.

He is a tricky operator. That is why he is within the automobile, as a result of mentally, he is at all times been in a position to bounce again,” Horner mentioned.

“He’ll brush himself down and he’ll flip it into motivation. Dash race in Brazil, Las Vegas a road circuit — he is at all times run effectively at road circuits. Abu Dhabi, he is at all times been aggressive there as effectively. He’ll have the complete help of the staff to attempt to obtain one thing that we have not accomplished earlier than.”