Red Bull keeping Perez amid slump

Red Bull decided to keep Sergio Perez past the summer break despite a severe drop in form, the team confirmed Monday, according to ESPN's Nate Saunders.

"Checo remains a Red Bull Racing driver despite recent speculation and we look forward to seeing him perform at tracks he has previously excelled at after the summer break," team principal Christian Horner said.

Horner delivered the news to the Red Bull factory earlier in the day, sources told Saunders. Horner and senior adviser Helmut Marko met Monday to discuss Perez's future, among other topics.

Speculation swirled around Perez's standing with the team as he scored just 28 points over the last eight races. RB driver Daniel Ricciardo was rumored to be a candidate for the seat if Perez was dumped.

Perez's last 8 races

Perez's skid allowed McLaren to claw back into the battle for the constructors' title. McLaren trailed Red Bull by 115 points after the Miami Grand Prix but has cut the deficit to 42 points.

The Mexican driver's front-row start in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix was his first since the Chinese Grand Prix. However, Perez struggled massively in the race, finishing eighth.

Perez has been at Red Bull since 2021, partnering with three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen. The team won the last two constructors' titles.