Have you ever watched Tom and Jerry? As you might know, Daniel Ricciardo will race for AlphaTauri, starting with the Hungarian GP next weekend. The surprising move came at a time when Ricciardo was being touted as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Red Bull. But most experts now believe that the Australian racer has been given an AlphaTauri seat to keep Perez on his toes, in an attempt to improve his Qualifying performances.

From Red Bull’s perspective, what Tom was to Jerry is Ricciardo to Perez. In the last 5 races, the Mexican driver has struggled in the Qualifying sessions. He’s missed out on 5 consecutive Q3 appearances in the best car on the grid. RB Team Principal Christian Horner had said that Perez needs to get out of his head and focus on his racing. And it seems, to nudge Perez to come out of the rut, Horner has deployed the Honey Badger.

In the latest episode of ‘Unlapped’, an ESPN F1 Show, Katie George, Laurence Edmondston, and Nate Saunders spoke about the same. Edmondson even highlighted the shrewd move by Christian Horner to help Perez get rid of his “mental hang up.”

Edmondson said, “Christian Horner’s convinced that soon as he sorts out whatever this mental hang up he’s got on these Saturdays, he’ll be fine. But, putting Ricciardo there is a really smart move. It’s a reminder to Perez like, we’ve got this guy here who is not only at his best; still considered to be one of the best drivers in Formula 1. You’ve put one of the most popular drivers in the sport in that seat. It’s gotta be a warning sign to Perez.”

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Well, looks like Checo has yet another thing to worry about now. Though his Qualifying performances have been dismal, the race pace has been very good. And because of that, Horner fully backs him to make a comeback.

Christian Horner Extends Helping Hand to Sergio Perez Amid Worsening Qualifying Woes

Sergio Perez had a beautiful start to the season. But after Baku, something changed the way he started operating on Saturdays. While Max Verstappen continued to get consecutive Pole positions, Perez struggled to get into Q3. But in the last 2 races, he has stunningly climbed the grid to get a P2 in Austria and a P6 at Silverstone. So, Horner is still backing him to put his Saturday struggles behind him.

Horner said, “I think he’s the type of guy that just needs an arm around his shoulder. You work with him and that’s what we’re doing. We’re supporting him, we know he can do it, we know he’ll get back there, and we’re just trying to make sure it happens as quickly as possible.”

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Red Bull‘s move will get a litmus test at the Hungaroring next weekend. And if Sergio Perez makes it to Q3, then the team’s move has been successful. Though we highly doubt that is what Daniel Ricciardo wants.