RED BULL ANNOUNCE SERGIO PEREZ REPLACEMENT FOR BRITISH GRAND PRIX

The British Grand Prix will host a Formula 1 shake-up after Red Bull confirmed Isack Hadjar will get the nod to replace Sergio Perez. The academy driver has been selected to start practice ahead of Perez as the Mexican continues to struggle with his form this season.

Despite a strong start to the campaign comprising four podium finishes across the first five races, Perez has endured a sharp decline in results. Following early retirements in Monaco and Montreal, the 34-year-old finished eighth and seventh in the recent Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix, respectively.

Perez could still feature in this weekend's racing, but it will be Hadjar in the seat for at least the first practice. "Welcome back, Isack Hadjar," read a tweet from the official Red Bull X account. "Our junior driver will be in Checo's car for FP1 at Silverstone."

Team principal Christian Horner has admitted Red Bull's No 2 is under pressure to produce results as he looks to aid Max Verstappen's ambitions of a fourth straight world championship. And now the decision has been made to give a rookie his chance in the cockpit rather than stick with Perez.

It won't be the first time fans have seen Hadjar on an F1 track after he participated in practice ahead of last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, this will be viewed as a much greater chance to secure what could turn into a more permanent position on the grid.

Perez is under particular pressure to improve given he only recently signed a new two-year contract in Milton Keynes. That being said, his performances of late have not been indicative of a driver improved by the security of a secure seat.

Instead, results appear to have moved in the opposite direction as he's struggled to have any impact on the podium places of late. And with the emergence of McLaren as a credible threat in the top places, Verstappen needs help now more than he has done in recent years.

French-Algerian driver Hadjar has impressed for Campos Racing in this season's Formula 2 championship, where he's won two races and currently sits second in the standings. Estonian Paul Aron - who was part of Mercedes' junior programme and has driven in Formula E - leads the table as things stand.

Verstappen, 26, increased his lead in the drivers' standings to 81 points on Sunday despite a fifth-place finish at the Austrian GP. A controversial clash with Lando Norris saw the Dutchman slapped with a 10-second penalty, but the former's withdrawal as a result meant he was still able to add to his cushion.

Red Bull's leading man has won seven of the 11 races staged to far this F1 season, but an element of doubt has crept in over the last couple of months. Prior to his last-place finish in Austria, Norris - who clinched his maiden F1 victory in Miami earlier this year - had finished second or higher in five of his previous six races to apply some pressure at the summit.

Red Bull are putting Hadjar in place to follow F1 rules, which state that teams are obliged to give two free practice sessions per season to a driver who is yet to compete in more than two grands prix.

The 19-year-old placed 17th in each of his previous two practice outings for the team - in Mexico and Abu Dhabi - but will hope to be a lot more competitive in Silverstone this weekend.

2024-07-04T10:09:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd