Sergio Perez insists that it would be nonsense for him to start worrying about Daniel Ricciardo replacing him at Red Bull.

The Mexican heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend having failed to make it into Q3 at the previous five races, a situation that had Helmut Marko warning him to "get a grip".

Though he has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2024, the Mexican will be aware that it means little, a fact brought home by the sacking of Nyck de Vries and the return of Daniel Ricciardo.

Indeed, even before the Australian was drafted into the AlphaTauri squad there was speculation linking him with his old seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

However, speaking at the Hungaroring today, Perez insisted that he wasn't thinking about the speculation.

"It doesn't change anything," he told reporters, "because I drive for Red Bull. There's not just Daniel out there, it's Yuki, more than half of the grid will love to drive for Red Bull. So it doesn't change anything.

"I've been in F1 for 13 years," he continued, "so I'm not a guy that any more thinks so much further ahead.

"I've been with the engineers, so to be honest I haven't even had the time to discuss what's going on with Daniel. I think it's a great opportunity for him. And that's it.

"I'm focusing on Hungary and then in Belgium," he insisted, "I'm not really thinking about 2025, it's so far ahead. It's nonsense to think that far away."

Of course, Red Bull has history and despite his contract absolutely nothing is guaranteed, as Pierre Gasly will readily testify.

"It's in my hands," said Perez of his future. "I am the first one, I'm a winner, I don't like having bad weekends, it's not what I'm here for. I would rather be at home doing something else.

"I'm here because I know that I can do it, I've done it before. People on the sofa forget how much in the little details we are. You've seen it with other drivers, other teams. They've had different difficult periods but then they don't have twenty replacements after each session like they do with the Red Bull drivers.

"I think when you look at those bad qualifyings, there's always been a different situation, external situation, that we haven't dealt as good as we should have dealt with them," he said of his recent shortcomings. "There's always been some external factor. It hasn't been pure pace, put it that way.

"The deficit that I've been experiencing with the car in the last few races, whenever there is a change in condition, it tends to get wider," he admitted. "This limit, let's put it that way. That's been something that has caught us out.

"I think the last five races really have been some change in conditions in qualifying. That has really put us on the back foot for it.

"We've been doing some good work with the engineers over the week. We have some ideas for here, and hopefully we are able to just feel just in general have a better platform where we can be more comfortable, and if there is a change in conditions, then we don't have such a difference.

"It's not like we cannot do it," he insisted. "I've proven before we can do it. I think I have full support from the team. It's just time, I think."

Check out our Thursday gallery from the Hungaroring here.