The ice beneath Sergio Perez just got thinner.
The Red Bull driver crashed during the first round of qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday, in yet another mishap that will further push him out of favor with his team. Perez only finished six laps and his top time of 1:17.886 was only good enough for 16th place.
Perez spun out in Turn Eight and hit the wall, leaving his car with damage on the left side. It marks the second consecutive race where Perez crashed during Q1, after he suffered a similar fate during the British Grand Prix two weeks ago.
PEREZ! 😵
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 20, 2024
Into the barrier and out of Q1 💥#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/hGbvs0yxrI
Questions have swirled for weeks about Perez's spot at Red Bull. He began the season well but has been in terrible form since mid-May. While teammate Max Verstappen continues to lead the championship chase, Perez has tumbled to sixth in the standings after garnering just 15 points from the last six races. As McLaren and Ferrari have surged, Red Bull's grip on the constructors championship has loosened. With 372 points, Red Bull is still on top but Ferrari (302) and McLaren (295) are getting larger in the rear-view mirror.
Adding to Red Bull's pain on Saturday was McLaren scoring a one-two finish in qualifying, with Lando Norris taking the top spot and Oscar Piastri in second, as Verstappen settled for third.
With Perez struggling, Daniel Ricciardo has stepped up his game. Driving for Red Bull's sister team, Visa Cash App RB, the Aussie and former Verstappen teammate had the top time during Q1. He managed to sneak into Q3 and will start ninth, with teammate Yuki Tsunoda just behind him.
Ricciardo, Tsunoda and Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson are all lurking if the team decides to make changes. Perez recently signed a contract through the 2025 season but his hold on the team's second seat feels tenuous. He can't afford any more poor performances.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sergio Pérez Crashes Out of Hungary Qualifying in Latest Disaster.
