When sporting bosses declare one of their team, ‘have the full support of the board’, you know the end is near.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, has reportedly been forced to address talk of Sergio Perez’s impending demise with staff after the Brazilian Grand Prix, to try and allay the swirling rumour mill around the Mexican’s departure.

Perez, who holds the coveted second seat alongside world champion Max Verstappen, has been under siege and is reportedly clinging to his spot, as pressure mounts for his axing before season end.

Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, reports suggested that RBR could part company with the Mexican star Pérez after the São Paulo race, raising questions about the team’s future line-up and strategy.

According to the Italian motorsport website, Formulapassion, Horner reportedly addressed the Red Bull team at their Milton Keynes headquarters following the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The report claims that Horner informed staff of the team’s decision to keep Pérez — at least until the end of the season.

However, Horner is said to have offered no clarity on what might happen beyond the final race.

Red Bull’s senior management have been upset with Perez’s lack of performance this season and although Verstappen stormed home to win in Brazil, the lucrative constructor’s title is slipping away for RBR as Perez fell to another disappointing 11th-place finish.

Horner and Red Bull Racing heavyweight Helmut Marko are reportedly at loggerheads over Perez, with the latter favouring an immediate axing.

Marko has publicly criticised Pérez’s performances on several occasions this season, particularly the driver’s lack of consistency in comparison to his teammate Max Verstappen.

Perez’s position does bring with it a significant sponsorship deal from one of Mexico’s biggest telcos and this would be in jeopardy if the driver departs.

Australian star Daniel Ricciardo, who is quietly biding his time as the saga plays out, could be a likely replacement for Perez if he does not see out the season.

Ricciardo could be easily recast into his old spot in the second-tier team at Red Bull if either Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda were to move up into the top spot vacated by Perez.

However, the two younger drivers may be a gamble Horner is not willing to make, and with one of his favourite sons waiting in the wings, the Ricciardo comeback is not as far-fetched as it seems.