Perez's Future with Red Bull: Decision in a Month?

Amidst a strong season start and speculations, Sergio Perez reveals his F1 future with Red Bull might be decided soon.

Sergio Perez hinted that his future in Formula 1 with Red Bull could be settled “within a month” as he continues his strong start to the season, securing another one-two finish for his team.

Perez clinched a podium finish at Suzuka in the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing second to Max Verstappen and moving up to second in the drivers’ standings ahead of Charles Leclerc.

After a challenging mid-season in 2023, Perez’s future with the team was questioned, with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda both seen as potential candidates to become Verstappen’s teammate.

Following his win in Australia, Carlos Sainz was also mentioned as a possible replacement for Perez, as was Fernando Alonso.

“I’m pretty relaxed, it’s my 14th season in F1,” Perez responded when asked about the speculation.

“Whatever comes next, I’m really pleased with what I’ve achieved in this sport so far.”

“I think it’s just a matter of time before my future is decided and, obviously, the driver market is evolving and in the next few weeks, there will certainly be a lot of movement. I hope to know within a month what I’ll be doing next year.”

Christian Horner, his boss, may not be on the same timeline.

“The driver market as a whole seems very early this year, and everyone seems to be in a rush, even though we’ve only had four races.”

“We’re not in a rush, and obviously, there’s a lot of interest in our cars, as you would expect.”

“Checo is our first choice. But it will take a few more races before we start thinking about next year.”

However, Horner was certainly impressed by Perez’s performance yesterday.

“Checo had a good weekend. Qualifying just a tenth off his teammate, obviously strong race pace, with the disadvantage of having to come back through traffic… There were a few moments where, I must admit, I had my eyes closed as he went into the 130R… do you have to do it there? Can’t you wait for the straight to pass? He didn’t look like he had three children when he made that move!”

“I think his confidence is high, he is very focused on the task at hand and he is comfortable in the team. He knows his contract is up for next year but he’s started the season in the best possible way.”

For Dr. Helmut Marko, the signs are still positive regarding the Mexican.

“I think Perez performed better than expected at Suzuka. Especially after a very bad weekend here last year. He has incredibly improved. The setups finally worked, leading to a double podium, something we haven’t achieved in a long time. Especially with Perez starting from the front row of the grid, I have to think about how long that took because it was a long time ago.”

“Checo is getting straight to the point and stops overthinking the setups. Our F1 cars are now almost identical in terms of setups, and that finally makes the difference.”

“Checo seems like he can do it. But maybe that’s also influenced by the fact that next year’s contracts are not yet done. The market remains very open.”