Damon Hill explains Red Bull’s plan for Max Verstappen’s F1 teammate, in light of Sergio Perez’s difficulties.

Red Bull will need more from Perez next season if they want to remain competitive against teams like Ferrari and Mercedes.
Perez continues to struggle in Verstappen’s shadow.

As he commented on Sergio Perez’s difficulties, Damon Hill believes Red Bull wants “more of a wingman” for Max Verstappen.

Another slump in performance for the Mexican racer.
After crashing into Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda during the race in Singapore, he came in eighth.

And his Japanese Grand Prix was even more marred by incidents.
On the first lap, he collided with Lewis Hamilton and broke a front wing.
Later, he did it again when he lunged at Kevin Magnussen from the inside, sending the Haas into a spin.

From those two race weekends combined, Perez only collected four points. He still holds the second-place position in the drivers’ standings, but the distance between him and Hamilton has shrunk to just 33 points, while teammate Verstappen leads by 177 despite driving the same vehicle.

Should their rivals present a greater challenge, Red Bull, according to Sky Sports pundit Hill, needs a player who can score more frequently.
The 1996 world champion commented on Perez’s difficulties in a speech after the race at Suzuka.

He explained that “something went wrong, and he got into trouble in the first corner.”.
“And after that, I believe some frustration set in, and things only got worse.”.
Magnussen had a look of extreme desperation on him, and he might have been a little irritated with his current situation.
“.

He added, “I think the team desperately wants a little bit more of a wingman for Max.
I think Perez cannot afford to have so many off-weekends if Red Bull are challenged next year. They are aware that Max is practically untouchable.

“Do you remember when Michael Schumacher ruled Ferrari and nobody could handle being number two to Michael?
I remember Ross Brawn telling Eddie Irvine, ‘Listen, you can’t beat him.
It is abhorrent to a racing driver to hear that you should “just do the best you can.”.

“But unless you’re [Ayrton] Senna, Hamilton, Max Verstappen, or one of the other greats like [Juan Manuel] Fangio, Jim Clark, you’re going to meet someone in this game who is exceptional and probably above your ability.
Some individuals are just very challenging to defeat. All you can do is approach and perform well for the team.
“.

The expiration date of Perez’s current Red Bull contract is 2024.
After that, team president Christian Horner has already stated that his squad will consider all of its options, including possible Mexican replacements.