Max Verstappen raised a few eyebrows ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix when he seemed to dodge a question about helping his team-mate Sergio Perez.

The Mexican is locked in a tight battle with Lewis Hamilton for second place in the standings. Just 20 points separate them and the Mercedes driver has the chance to leapfrog the Red Bull racer if his poor form continues.

The truth is, at this stage of the season, Hamilton shouldn't have the chance to do that. Red Bull have given Perez by far and away the best car on the grid. Runaway champion Verstappen made the most of it by blowing everyone away, while his team-mate went off the boil after a bright start.

And now Perez finds himself in this situation. Still in a fight for second place that should have been wrapped up many weeks ago and in danger of losing his Red Bull seat altogether unless he can rediscover the form we all know he can produce.

That's the key. Perez's ability is not under question. He is not as good as Verstappen and never will be. But Red Bull don't need him to be – they need an able lieutenant there to finish second behind the Dutchman, win when Verstappen can't for whatever reason and maybe even beat him in a straight fight the odd time.

Perez has the speed to do that, but questions remain over whether he has what it takes from a mental perspective. At times earlier this season it felt like he has been trying too hard to beat Verstappen, and now he is struggling under the pressure in the worst form of his three-year Red Bull career.

So I can't help but think Verstappen did the right thing when he baulked at the idea of helping Perez for the sake of it in Brazil this weekend. "At the end of the day I think it shouldn't always be on me to get the points," was his rather pointed reply.

Some people won't like it, given Verstappen has nothing left to fight for having already won the championship and therefore nothing to lose by giving his team-mate a leg up. But he would not be helping the team if he were to do that. Red Bull need to know whether Perez is capable of getting himself out of the hole he has dug for himself.

hey need to know they have two drivers on the ball next year, in case the championship fight is closer than it has been in 2023. Perez might be able to get himself back on track and produce the form and results the team needs of him. Or he may continue to crumble and Red Bull could be forced into making an earlier-than-planned driver change.

Daniel Ricciardo certainly wouldn't say no to a return. And Liam Lawson is already on the books to replace the Aussie at AlphaTauri if he were given the nod. At the moment the seat is Perez's to lose. Verstappen can't save his Red Bull career for him – only Perez can do that.