Christian Horner has praised how Sergio Perez is responding to his role at Red Bull in a variety of ways.

Not only is the Mexican now delivering on track consistently, he also contributes to the most convivial atmosphere in the team principal’s recollection.

Although Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after his team-mate Max Verstappen had crashed due to a tyre blowout while firmly in command, the results in his first 15 races with Red Bull were decidedly mixed.

But since Turkey, the penny appears to have well and truly dropped and a string of three consecutive third-placed finishes have provided solid back-up to Verstappen and brought Red Bull to within one point of Mercedes in the Constructors’ World Championship standings.