Damon Hill issued Christian Horner with a reminder that he “recommended” Sergio Per♒ez to the Red🐠 Bull F1 team.

Red Bull boss Horner had teased𒊎 Sky Sports’ pun﷽dits about previous criticism of Perez.

The under-pressure Perez has claimed three P2 finishes in four grands prix this﷽ year, and qualified for Sunday’s F1 Chinese Grand Prix in second behind teammate Max Verstappen.

“You guys have a tendency to write him off but he’s doing a great jꦍob,” Horner told the Sky Sports studio.

“He came into the season with a new frame o🌞f mind. He is relaxed and driving the car well.

“He is no✅t focusing on h♚is teammate. It’s a different approach.

“In the first 🌟five race🍷s we have seen a strong performance from him.

“▨His confidence is growing and hopefully he can convert that into another good result.”

1996 F1 champion Hill replied to Horner: “Far from writing him off, I seem to remember recommending him to you, at one point🧔!”

Perez 'responds to pressure in the best way'

Horner addressed Perez’s🐼 upturn in form: “He is an important part of th♐e team.

“It’s about working collectively. He 🍸has great engineering support around him.ܫ He feels comfortable.

“He knows that he’s out of contract so he’s dr🌞iving for his future.

“He responds to pressure in the best possible way. Some drivers respondꩲ to ✨pressure, and others wilt.”

Horner 💎said ꦕto Hill: “It reminds me of your 1995 and 1996 seasons.

“Over t꧃hat winter, you certainly came back a different 💜driver in ‘96.

“It is similar with Checo. He has gone away, wintered well, changed a few things in his approach, an༺d he isꦰ driving well.”

Perez narrowly avoided an unfortunate Q1 elimination during S🍎aturday’s qual🌜ifying for the grand prix.

Horner explained:🔴 “The track was evolving quickly.

“With hinꦆdsight we 🌠should have run a new set of tyres but we were stacking them up for later in qualifying.

“You’d like to say it was 🎃perfect judgement bu🌸t we got a little bit lucky to be within the cut.”

Red Bull’s d🍌omination looks set to continue in Shanghai on Sunday, after Verstappen won the✨ sprint race on Saturday.

Horner was asked if his team w෴ill continue developing their 2024 car or begin💃 looking further ahead.

“You’ve got to keep your head down, keep pusꦜhing forwar🀅d,” he replied.

“It’s st🌱ill early in this championship, the💜re is a long way to go.

“As we head back to Europe I suspect updates will aᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ꦚᩚᩚᩚrrive from other teams.

“Things can change. You can’t afford complacency.

“It has been a really good Saturday for us. The sprint race victory♍, pole position, and Checo on the front row as 🌠well.

“100 poles in 15❀ years, and☂ the first one was here 15 years ago.”