The title this year is not up for grabs. Max Verstappen has claimed it for himself and has left little and nothing for the others, including his team-mate, Sergio Pérez, who after a series of mistakes, explicit signs of his inability to adapt to the Adrian Newey-designed car types after two and a half years of driving them, has abdicated the championship fight, and has been embroiled in one for P2 in the Drivers' World Championship with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso and Hamilton have had a solid first half of the season. Both have been able to steal points from the Mexican, to the extent that, with ten races to go until the chequered flag drops for the final time at Yas Marina, they have a realistic chance of taking P2 in the championship.

The Mexican continues to see his talent overtaken by a complex RB19, which decimates his performance to the point where he is running in different races to Verstappen and similar to Alonso and Hamilton. With Red Bull Racing announcing that it has stopped development of its current car, while Aston Martin and Mercedes, not to mention McLaren, continue to develop theirs, (Aston Martin has brought a new floor, plus other aerodynamic upgrades for the Dutch Grand Prix), it is not absurd to think that the Spaniard and Briton could unseat the Mexican as the Dutchman's runner-up.

Currently, Perez has been the only weak point for the Austrian team so far this year. But that weakness has been eclipsed at times by good driving. P2 is his to lose. It's up to him to take it or let Alonso and Hamilton snatch it from him.

Perez's seat in danger?

Speaking to F1-Insider, Marko said Perez's aim was to help Red Bull achieve its goals: "To become first and second in the drivers' championship and win the constructors' championship as soon as possible". At this stage, Perez has been backed by Red Bull management.

No information is yet known on the possible consequences for the Mexican of failing to give Red Bull a 1-2 in the drivers' championship for the second year in a row, but just yesterday renowned Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pinkham on a Sky Sports podcast stated that, "if Perez doesn't finish second, he should lose his seat, because this car [the RB19] is an incredible machine."

Formula 1 returns this weekend to a twisty and challenging track, which has not gone down well with Perez since it returned to the calendar in 2021, an optimal place for both former world champions to bid for P2 in the Drivers' World Championship. Follow all the action at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort via our live blog - GPBlog, the fastest and most comprehensive Formula One news blog!