The upcoming Belgian Grand Prix might mark Sergio Perez's final race steering a Red Bull car.
With the pressure already at a peak, the Mexican driver's early exit from Q1 with a hefty crash in Hungary only intensified his struggles.
"This has to end. I'm sorry," Ralf Schumacher noted on Sky Deutschland. "He should really be put out of his misery."
"Red Bull has so many drivers. How long can they continue to subject themselves to this?"
The 34-year-old Perez is facing a crucial period, as the races in Hungary and Belgium, just before the summer hiatus and pivotal performance clause assessments in his contract, are decisive.
"He had a very strong Friday," Dr. Helmut Marko commented to Viaplay. "Unfortunately, he then had his accident in qualifying. We stick to what we decided earlier - we will assess him here and in the race in Belgium next week. Then we will discuss together what will happen in the future."
Even Christian Horner, who has staunchly supported Perez up until now, seems to be tilting towards considering a change of drivers mid-season.
"I think I've shown myself to be very patient," he remarked on Saturday, "but this was really the last thing he and the team needed. Checo was much too fast for the conditions."
"As a driver, he has better information than we do about how heavy the rain is. He can see the drops on his visor. We will debrief within the team and not through the press, but it is quite obvious that we cannot run on one leg."
Despite Perez being recently signed for 2025 and 2026, partly due to his amicable relationship with Max Verstappen and significant Mexican sponsorship, performance remains paramount.
"In the end, it's all about performance," Marko confirms. "That's true in every sport, and especially in Formula 1."
"I don't want to go into details about contracts or anything. There will be a meeting after Spa and discuss the whole problem, because it is a problem."
"Luckily Max is strong enough to be able to fight two McLarens, but in terms of strategy it would help to have a second car at the front," he added.
Should Red Bull decide to replace Perez mid-season, the top candidate appears to be Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson.
"Lawson not only did the (filming day) test but a lot of simulator work," Marko stated. "This is certainly a candidate if a candidate is needed."
Other possibilities include Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda stepping up, with Lawson potentially filling one of their seats at the junior RB team.
When questioned by Sky Deutschland about the team's driver lineup post-summer break, CEO Peter Bayer was non-committal, saying: "It's not set in stone."
"We'll sit down with Dr. Helmut Marko during the summer break and discuss everything then."
