Pro-Perez Mexican media website ignores elephant in the room

Daniel Ricciardo's return to Formula 1 has thrown huge doubt over Sergio Perez's future position at Red Bull Racing. Nyck de Vries has been forced out after just 10 races. Esto, traditionally the biggest media supporter of Perez, has ignored any connection to Checo, while the other Mexican media publications are thinking the worse. 

Esto

The popular sports media magazine is, in most cases, very complimentary of Checo. However, it is striking that they have not mentioned the possible consequences of Ricciardo's return to the grid at Red Bull's sister team for the Mexican's future at the Austrian outfit. In fact, they have opted to keep the current World Championship standings as their lead story in their news. As the old saying goes, silence speaks louder than words, and they're ignoring the elephant in the room. The current standings is perhaps their way of showing that Perez's situation isn't as bad as some make out, given that he holds P2. 

Since AlphaTauri and Red Bull confirmed that Ricciardo will return to F1 as a full-time driver, the website have produced two articles that are somewhat hidden away. Neither of them are placed as the leading article, despite being significantly more recent and more newsworthy than the World Championship standings. Neither of these two articles even mention Perez. 

Questions are asked, including "how long has it been since he last raced" and "why did Ricciardo leave Red Bull" but the biggest question is missing. Surely there is concern amongst the Mexican fans about the impact this has on 'their' driver. It is not defended by the publication or even suggested that it could cause problems. The Esto publication is ignoring the bigger picture. 

Ricciardo is a popular figure within the Red Bull paddock, and most are pleased to see this announcement. However, other Mexican media outlets confirm that not everyone is excited about Ricciardo's return. Alarm bells have gone off in the Mexican media, and their messages, although mixed in nature, are loud and clear.

Publimetro

"Checo in danger! Daniel Ricciardo returns to the track with Red Bull". One magazine that has decided to recognise the elephant in the room. While the sacking of De Vries to accommodate the Australian at Red Bull's sister team does not directly involve Perez, they do see the potential implications for the Mexican driver. "This move will also put pressure on Mexican driver Sergio Pérez, as a good second half of the season from Daniel combined with a bad one from Checo could bring changes [to Red Bull's driver line-up] for 2024."

W Deportes

"Red Bull sends a message to Checo Pérez; Ricciardo is already waiting for his place". The digital sports daily pulls no punches and gets straight to the point, admitting that the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo "would put Perez in a tricky situation" if the Australian manages to perform well at AlphaTauri. They even go as far as to suggest that Checo could end up as Red Bull's reserve driver if he can't take the pressure and "stops making mistakes".

De Cero a Cien

"Watch out Checo! This could happen with Daniel Ricciardo's arrival at Alpha Tauri". The racing news outlet is also quick to make the connection between the Australian's transfer and the prospects of Perez's tenure at the Austrian team, given that the move could have "major consequences", which, while they might not happen this year, could become a reality for next year. Furthermore, after highlighting Perez's recent dip in form, they claim that Ricciardo "wants to be considered by Red Bull for a seat, which obviously won't be that of F1 champion and current F1 leader Max Verstappen".

ESPN MX

"Is Checo Perez in danger at Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo returns after Nyck de Vries' sacking?" While posing the difficult question, the Mexican edition of the global sports broadcaster chooses to answer it positively by stating that both Horner and Marko have said publicly that they "will honour his contract". After downplaying Perez's lacklustre qualifying performances in the last five Grands Prix and calling de Vries "a fiasco", they suggest there is a possibility that Checo could lose his seat if he fails to hold on to second place or if Ricciardo excels in his stint with AlphaTauri, but rule it out by adding that if Red Bull were to replace Perez, they would never do so with Ricciardo.