Sergio Pérez faces uncertainty as Red Bull evaluates driver options, with F1 team talents emerging as likely successors.
Helmut Marko has downplayed Franco Colapinto’s chances of securing a seat at Red Bull Racing in 2025. Despite Sergio Pérez’s protests, the Mexican driver’s ongoing performance issues could lead to his departure from the team.
“We have lost the Constructors’ title this year, barring an extraordinary miracle,” Marko said in Qatar.
“Employees only receive a bonus if we win the Constructors’ Championship. They lose a lot of money otherwise. It becomes difficult for a driver when you lose the support or trust of the people working with you.”
Marko maintains that a meeting after Abu Dhabi will decide Pérez’s fate. Colapinto has been linked to the seat or a place in the RB F1 junior team if Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda is promoted.
Marko admits that one of the current RB F1 drivers is the most likely candidate, rather than Colapinto, who remains under a long-term contract with Williams.
“Yes. We need the best drivers in our car, but so far, the best candidates come from our own talent program. I don’t see anyone outside our program who is available and better than our own drivers.”
Colapinto’s manager, Jamie Campbell-Walter, suggests the Argentine’s recent string of accidents in his Williams has hurt his chances: “It stems from the pressure of not knowing what the future holds, which is sometimes worse than knowing.”
Campbell-Walter also expressed frustration with Williams regarding a specific incident in Brazil: “Franco had never driven in the rain and asked for wet tires. They told him to survive. He also has an entire nation on his shoulders. I can’t imagine what that’s like. It’s very easy to criticize from the outside.”
Colapinto was also questioned in Qatar about rumors linking him to Red Bull and Alpine F1. The Argentine reportedly visited Alpine for a one-on-one with Flavio Briatore.
“I don’t know, hopefully. It’s difficult. It’s something I’m not focusing on right now. But obviously, for me, it’s the most important thing.”
He also emphasized that his series of accidents hasn’t shaken his confidence: “No, I’m confident in what I can do. In Vegas, I felt good, I was confident, I was setting good times.”
“But I found myself in a situation where I had to push to the limit and skim the walls a bit more, and unfortunately, I got a little too close. But that’s part of the learning process.”
- Discover More>Russell Joins In: “I’d Have Been Champion in the McLaren or Red Bull”
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates.
Marko Confirms Pérez’s Red Bull Support Is Gone Marko Confirms Pérez’s Red Bull Support Is Gone
