The paddock of the Formula 1 has always been the pressure cooker and Sergio Perez is one of the drivers feeling the heat most. With the rumours mill about his future with Red Bull still rife, a shocking supporter of the driver has come out of his own garage. Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley at Red Bull has also been seen publicly supporting Perez, thus providing an indication that the team remains fully supportive of its second driver despite his run of up and down performances, and the posse of possible replacements breathing down his neck.

The support of Wheatley has come at a very important time. His performance in subsequent Red Bull rounds towards the end of the season has not been very good. As Max Verstappen keeps on dominating at the top, Perez has failed to keep up with him in qualifying and when it comes to the weekend race. Errors, a lack of confidence, and being sacked in Q1 repeatedly have prompted inquiries, not just among the fans but also in the media: are there some doubts as to whether Checo could continue to occupy a car contending for the title?

However, the recent remarks by Wheatley are using a different story. He points out the important role Perez played in the formation of the team, its chemistry, and success, which is usually overlooked with raw percentages of laps and position on the podium. This is seen to indicate that Red Bull at least, is not willing to withdraw the bed sheet as of yet.

However, it is hard to deny the elephant in the room aka Daniel Ricciardo. Aussie is ever popular and has no shame in expressing his wish to regain one seat at Red Bull and his presence at AlphaTauri is deemed by many to be a test run. Throw in the emergence of reserve driver Liam Lawson, and the replacement options immediately become a lot healthier.

The words by Wheatley can be seen as a move aimed at giving the Mexican driver a relief so that he can rest and recover his form. Formula 1 is as much a game of the psyche as it is a game of performance and balance is of utmost importance, and what Kvyat is trying to achieve as of now is the most favorable part, inarguably as a team like Red Bull lives and dies by momentum. That dynamic with any crack would prove expensive to them, as far as the standings in the constructor is concerned, despite the seriousness of Verstappen run.

Perez is tactful in terms of his role as a team strategy. He will not necessarily have to overtake Verstappen, but he will still have to be close enough in such a way to fulfill a rear-gunner role, confuse strategies of rival drivers, and provide a Red Bull one-two in a situation when the latter can happen. This season, that has not been the case with enough frequency and so the reason why Wheatley behaving like he did is both tactical and meaningful.

To Perez, it is not all about the performance but much about the perception. A good second half of the season would pull off the critics and have him regain his worth. Provided he fails however, there may be no amount of internal support that may be sufficient to grant him a save seat.

With Formula 1 contracts more of a free-flowing entity than ever before and talent sitting idle in the wings, Perez must show that he is not only the most desirable choice that Red Bull has to offer, but the only viable one. The fact that he has the backing of Wheatley makes him some sort of a security, but it is not a mistake that the clock is already ticking.

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