Sergio Perez on Saturday played down the significance of being spotted in conversation with Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko in the Bahrain paddock. So after the French broadcaster Canal Plus spotted Perez, 30, in conversation with Red Bull driver manager Marko on Saturday, the driver insisted: “I just said hello. Indeed, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said earlier in Bahrain that struggling British-born Thai driver Alex Albon has two more races to prove he should be retained for 2021. “I think you’ve got to look at how Max has evolved over the last few years,” he said. “If you look at his average to Max, Alex’s average is still closer than Pierre (Gasly)’s was last year.

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