Marko: Perez pay-cut story 'made up out of thin air'

Helmut Marko has ridiculed recent reports claiming that Sergio Perez's underperformance this year relative to Max Verstappen has earned the Mexican a pay-cut with Red Bull.

After trading wins with Verstappen in the first four races of the season, Perez titles hopes eventually vanished in a series of poor displays and errors.

Half-way through F1's 2023 campaign, the Mexican remains second in the Drivers' standings but a whopping 125 points behind Verstappen, while Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are 40 and 41 points respectively adrift from Perez.

Last week, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, citing sources familiar with the matter, claimed that Perez's contract with Red Bull includes a performance clause that would call for an adjustment of his retainer if he is 125 points or more behind his teammate in the championship.

But Marko rubbished the media's report.

"I don’t know where that’s coming from again," Marko told F1 Insider.

“It’s completely made up out of thin air. The contracts are precisely regulated. There will be no salary cuts.

"Max is driving in a league of his own. There is therefore no reason to think about measures affecting Perez. He still has a contract with Red Bull for 2024."

• Read also: Marko's advice to Alpine: 'Sell your team to Andretti!'

Marko and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner have repeatedly said Perez seat with the Milton Keynes-based outfit is safe for the duration of his contract with the team, meaning until the end of 2024.

But there is certainly no lack of interest for the Mexican's drive for 2025 according to Horner given the team's crushing supremacy in F1.

"It’s just the position that we’re in it’s great to have a lot of interest," he told Sky Sports News.

"And it’s not just from those drivers [Perez and Ricciardo] – it’s from drivers outside our spectrum as well regarding 2025."

But in the interim, Perez will remain welded his seat at Red Bull for the foreseeable future.

"Checo is hugely popular in the team. Let’s not forget what he did in 2021," added Horner. "His contribution to our Constructors’ Championship last year.

He is second in the world championship this year. He’s the only other driver to have won a race this year, in the two grands prix that he’s won.

"Obviously, our absolute primary objective is to get Checo firing on all cylinders on a Saturday, which I’m sure he is going to do. So nobody is writing off Checo."

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