Sergio Perez teases 'not focused' Max Verstappen as Red Bull struggles continue

has joked is 'not focused' on the Formula One title race amid the Dutchman's ongoing slump.

It had looked as if it was going to be another rudimentary Verstappen title win.

Winning all but two of the opening 10 F1 races this year, the Red Bull star rocketed to the top of the Drivers' Championship standings and opened up a close-to-100-point lead to second place .

But after eight races without a victory and just three podium finishes during that time, Norris now sits only 52 points behind Verstappen heading into the final leg of the season.

Six races remain before the 2024 F1 campaign comes to a close and while Verstappen is still the heavy favourite to take the title, his form has been a cause for concern in the Red Bull garage.

It's something Perez was recently quizzed on, with the Mexican serving up a tongue-in-cheek response.

On Verstappen's recent winless streak, Perez said: "Maybe he's also not focused or something on the racing.

"Anyway, you know I went through it all. I think it's clear we have a problem at the moment, and we just have to focus on it, try to get the most out of it."

It comes after the 34-year-old fell into a slump of his own, having previously reached the podium in four of the opening five 2024 races.

Perez appeared to return to his best on the streets of Baku at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but was denied a chance to finish in the top three after a last-lap crash with Carlos Sainz forced him out of the race.

Regardless, it was a positive step in the right direction and reflecting on his own outings, Perez claimed: "I was focused. I wasn't distracted.

"I wasn't thinking on other stuff out of racing. It's what people say basically, you know, that when I was not doing well, that I was not focused, I was thinking too much on other stuff. So maybe that was the improvement."

A top-10 finish in Singapore followed for Perez, but as far as keeping his Red Bull seat for the 2025 season is concerned, it could be too little too late.

Liam Lawson has been touted as a potential Verstappen partner at Red Bull - a move the Austrian constructor could look to implement if they believe Perez is no longer up to scratch.