During Perez’s return to Suzuka, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner made a daring bet regarding the Mexican driver’s performance, particularly intrigued by his qualifying prospects.
With Perez’s previous best qualifying effort in Japan being fourth place in 2022, Horner offered a substantial payout if Perez could secure a spot on the front row of the grid.
True to form, Perez achieved this feat, narrowly missing out on pole position to his teammate Max Verstappen by a mere 0.066 seconds.
However, when it came time for Horner to honor the bet, Perez revealed that he had made a separate arrangement with former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. Consequently, the payout had to go directly to Ecclestone.
Reflecting on the situation, Horner humorously remarked, “So dear old Bernie is still making money while not even being here.”
Despite the amusing bet scenario, Horner commended Perez for his aggressive driving during the race, particularly highlighting his bold overtaking maneuvers in the challenging 130R corner.
Praising Perez’s performance, Horner noted, “Checo in particular has had a strong weekend, qualifying within one-tenth of his teammate… His race pace was strong, and obviously, he had the disadvantage of having to come back through the traffic.”
Regarding Perez’s contract situation, Horner emphasized that consistent performances like these would bolster his chances of securing a new deal with Red Bull for the 2025 season.
Expressing confidence in Perez, Horner stated, “He knows he’s out of contract for next year, so it’s his seat to lose… He’s very popular in the team and has started the season in the best possible way.”
In summary, while Perez’s on-track performance impressed Horner, the unexpected twist in the betting saga provided a lighthearted moment amidst the intense competition of Formula 1.
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