Sergio Perez faces an uncertain future at Red Bull beyond the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season after a disappointing campaign. Red Bull are set to lose the Constructors’ Championship after winning it in back-to-back years and that’s in large part due to Sergio Perez and his poor form. The Mexican driver’s points tally is less than half of teammate Max Verstappen’s who is currently the favourite to win his fourth straight title.
Perez has received an apology from Red Bull after his concerns about the RB20 weren’t heeded until the Italian Grand Prix. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesHowever, by then it was much too late to make the major changes needed for Red Bull to return to the front of the grid. Perez is under serious pressure from Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda who are gunning for his Red Bull seat ahead of the next season.
Damon Hill was speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast and shared an interesting conversation he had with Perez’s manager. The 34-year-old signed a new deal midway through this campaign in the hope that it would improve his form, but it hasn’t had the desired effect. That contract might just be the key to how long Perez stays in Formula 1.
Damon Hill shares what Sergio Perez’s manager told him about his Red Bull contractTalking about Perez, Hill said: “I had a chat with his manager at the last race I went to and I think they feel very confident that they’ve got a watertight contract. “The question is what has happened to Checo? Why is he so far off the pace, I don’t get it.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname“I don’t get what he’s up to, what’s going on either in his head or in the garage, I don’t know. “As you say, contracts are one thing but sooner or later there comes a point where they have to do what they have to do. “I’m sure they’d love to have someone who could back up Max in a battle.
Max will not want to driver who is going to give him any grief. You’ve got to weigh those two things up. ”Christian Horner left disappointed by Sergio Perez after the Mexico City Grand PrixThere are two men at Red Bull that Perez needs to impress – team principal Christian Horner and chief advisor Helmut Marko.
Marko’s powers at Red Bull were waining until he signed a new deal this year that granted him an additional say in both team’s driver line-ups. His position at Red Bull is critical to Verstappen’s happiness and keeping the Dutchman onside is vital to the team’s ongoing success. Marko has talked up Lawson for some time, and he finally got his chance at RB for the last six races of the season by replacing Daniel Ricciardo.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford linksLawson is in contention to replace Perez for next year and the pair appeared to be well aware of that fact during their battle at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Horner told Perez before the race what he needed to achieve after his miserable Q1 elimination. Unfortunately, he didn’t get close to that target and Horner delivered his disappointed verdict on Perez’s performance as a result.
Perez will have to hope that his contract is as watertight as his manager believes it is, otherwise, his time in F1 with Red Bull could soon come to an end.
