Helmut Marko reaffirms Tsunoda’s potential as Pérez’s 2025 replacement, while the Mexican’s ongoing struggles raise doubts about his future with Red Bull.
Helmut Marko emphasizes that Red Bull is not “neglecting” Yuki Tsunoda as a candidate to replace Sergio Pérez next year. While Max Verstappen managed to secure 6th place in the sprint qualifying in Qatar, Pérez’s struggles continued as he lined up ten places lower. The Mexican notably blamed a track incident with Charles Leclerc for his poor result.
“I’m not exactly sure what happened with Charles,” said team principal Christian Horner. “Unfortunately, Checo didn’t get enough out of the car to make it into SQ2. Checo really needs a good result now. It’s been a tough season for him since Monaco.”
As recently as Thursday in Qatar, Pérez reiterated that, with his contract signed for 2025, he would remain Verstappen’s teammate. However, Marko, the team’s advisor, has stated for several days that a decision on Pérez’s future will be made after the Abu Dhabi GP.
Some in the paddock believe Red Bull has already reached an agreement with Williams for Franco Colapinto’s release next year, though Williams team principal James Vowles has denied this.
“There is interest,” Vowles admitted on Friday. “But beyond that, I can’t really say at this stage. I think teams need to finalize their positions for next year before we know where he might go, if anywhere.”
Given the recent crashes by the Argentine rookie, there is speculation that Colapinto could be placed at Red Bull rather than the senior team next year. Without that option, he faces the prospect of being without a seat: “If I don’t have a seat next year, I’ll wait,” Colapinto told L’Équipe.
The strongest candidate to replace Pérez is Liam Lawson, although the New Zealander has not been guaranteed to keep his place in the junior team: “My performances are being evaluated, and these races could be important. But I don’t know where I’ll be racing next season, or even if I’ll be in the championship.”
“Overall, the results haven’t been bad, except for Vegas. I can’t afford two more weekends like that,” added Lawson.
Logically, Tsunoda, given his experience and progress, should be the favorite to replace Pérez. It’s believed that Red Bull is less inclined to favor him due to his ties with Honda, which will move to Aston Martin in 2026. The Japanese driver indicated in Qatar that he feels overlooked by Red Bull Racing.
“We are certainly not neglecting him,” Marko insists. “We are closely monitoring him. He had two very good races in Brazil and Las Vegas, but he also had two crashes in Mexico.”
“He’s getting better at managing his emotions,” adds the Austrian, acknowledging that Lawson and Tsunoda are the main candidates to replace Pérez.
“I would say yes. The engineers and others involved will make an assessment. The problem with Yuki is that he’s not consistent. He’s made direct mistakes this season, as they say in tennis. But he’s improving.”
However, Marko stated that Red Bull cannot ignore Pérez’s underperformance: “You don’t become world champion with just one car.”
As for team principal Horner, he still seems to be hoping for a turnaround for Pérez: “We’re trying to help Checo, and I really hope he can have two good races.”
Regarding the decision for 2025, Horner added: “It depends on Checo. He’s our driver and has a contract in place. I won’t talk about other drivers until he and the team have decided what he wants to do next season.”
Jenson Button admits that Red Bull is now running out of reasons to keep Pérez.
“For him, coming here and getting a good result is difficult after such a series of negative outcomes. But if he has two great races and beats Max Verstappen, then he stands a very good chance of keeping his seat, because everyone remembers the last race in this sport. That’s true!”
“But if it continues like this, I don’t see him being here next year. He won’t be here for his performances, right?”
Meanwhile, Dr. Marko expects a tough 2025 season, regardless of the outcome.
“Next year, everything will be even tighter, I think. That’s what happens when regulations are stable, and everyone converges.”
“But I think at Ferrari, [Lewis] Hamilton and [Charles] Leclerc will take points off each other, and at McLaren, Norris and [Oscar] Piastri too. At Mercedes, it remains to be seen how stable they will be.”
“And Red Bull? For us, it’s just about Max. There is no other driver on the horizon who fits so well into our environment and could become champion while he’s still here.”
- Discover More>Verstappen Unimpressed by Red Bull’s Performance Ahead of Qatar Sprint
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Marko Questions Pérez’s Future Amid Tsunoda Talks
Marko Questions Pérez’s Future Amid Tsunoda Talks
