Horner on simple choice: "Perez has had a positive impact"

On Friday afternoon before the second free practice session of the Belgian GP the news came out that Sergio Perez will again be Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull Racing in 2022. Team boss Christian Horner says the choice was 'quite simple'.

"It was pretty straightforward. Sergio joined at the end of last year and had a positive impact," Horner said in a conversation with Sky Sports ahead of the second free practice session. So the Pierre Gasly option was never considered very seriously.

The Red Bull team boss continued: "I think stability is important. Checo knows what his job is for this year, to support max and from a constructors point of view also. Then we've got a big regulation change for next year and with his 200 Grands Prix of experience and knowledge, he can play a key role in the development for next year," he states.

"Later in the year we will have to take penalties, and it will be about when we take those [penalties] strategically. We will also wait for the evolution of the calendar. You have to choose your moments strategically," Horner concluded. Both Verstappen and Perez are missing their second engines of the season. They have been damaged to the extent that they can no longer be used.