The arrival of Daniel Ricciardo as a replacement driver at AlphaTauri has stirred up speculation about Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull. With Perez’s underwhelming performance in recent races and the stark contrast with his teammate Max Verstappen‘s dominance, many believe that Ricciardo’s arrival indirectly puts pressure on Perez. However, Perez himself is unfazed by the rumors and has lashed out at critics, emphasizing Red Bull‘s support and his focus on improving his performance.

The F1 community has been buzzing with discussions surrounding Ricciardo’s immediate takeover of Nyck de Vries’ seat at AlphaTauri. This decision has sparked speculation, suggesting that Perez’s struggles played a role in the choice but finally, Perez has been given closure it seems. As Checo failed to deliver consistent results trailing behind his teammate by 99 points, while Verstappen continued to shine, a significant performance gap emerged within the Red Bull team, leading to doubts about Sergio Perez‘s future.

Despite the commotion surrounding Ricciardo’s appointment, Perez remains unperturbed. In an interview with Motorsport.com, he dismissed the speculations, stating, “Yeah, fully. I couldn’t care less if I’m honest about that. It really doesn’t bother me much. I’ve been driving in Formula 1 for 13 years and I’ve seen it all, but I’m not worried about it.”

Perez shifted his focus to improving his performance and finding enjoyment in the sport rather than succumbing to stress. Perez further highlighted the support he receives from Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. Together with the team, Perez is diligently working on addressing his qualifying issues and refining his approach for Saturdays.

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While speculation about Perez’s future continues to circulate, the Mexican driver remains resolute in his determination to regain his form. As Daniel Ricciardo makes his return to AlphaTauri and aims to secure the Red Bull seat by outperforming Sergio Perez, he faces a familiar problem that plagued his stint at McLaren. The issue of rear instability, which hindered his ability to execute impressive overtakes, seems to have followed him to his new team.

Daniel Ricciardo’s Ongoing Struggle with Rear Instability

Throughout his post-Red Bull career, Ricciardo’s performances with different teams have been inconsistent. While he did manage to win a race with McLaren, he struggled to translate that success into more podium finishes and victories. One of the key challenges he faced was the instability of the rear of the car, affecting his ability to excel in overtaking maneuvers.

Unfortunately for Ricciardo, the same problem persists as he joins AlphaTauri. The team’s technical chief, Jonathan Eddolls, acknowledges that the rear instability, which impacts late corner entry, remains a significant weakness despite the team’s efforts to improve it. This aerodynamic issue with the AT04 poses a considerable challenge for Ricciardo in his quest to outshine Perez and secure the coveted Red Bull seat.

Nevertheless, fans can at least rejoice in the fact that the Honey Badger is back on the grid, even if the battle against Perez might prove to be an uphill struggle due to the car’s limitations.

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