Red Bull prepares crucial driver decisions, with Perez’s future and roles for Tsunoda, Lawson, and Hadjar hanging in the balance.
Sergio Perez admitted for the first time yesterday that he is uncertain about continuing in Formula 1 next year.
For weeks, as speculation intensified about his potential dismissal as Max Verstappen’s teammate, the Mexican driver insisted he would remain at Red Bull, citing a valid contract.
However, there is no doubt he has tested the patience of his superiors, including team principal Christian Horner.
“Checo is a great person, but this year hasn’t gone well,” Horner said after the final race of the season on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
“We will sit down and discuss. There’s no rush; we still have internal driver permutations to consider. But yes, the Constructors’ Championship is won with two cars, and that will be the foundation of our discussion.”
“Of course, a driver’s benchmark is always their teammate. And the car has won nine races with Max driving. It secured 10 pole positions. It achieved—I’ve lost count of how many podiums—but a significant number. And fastest laps as well.”
“This is far from the easiest car to drive. And Max is the toughest teammate to have in the world. It’s an exceptionally challenging task to sit alongside Max and extract the maximum from the car.”
“Undoubtedly, the RB20 has been one of the most difficult cars we’ve produced. Its operating window for peak performance has been incredibly narrow, and that’s something we’ll work to widen for next year.”
The much-anticipated meeting is scheduled for Monday.
“We will discuss the future of both teams,” added team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko. “The line-ups for both teams will be decided on Monday.”
Asked about the timing of the announcement, Marko replied, “I don’t think it will be on Monday. And of course, we’ll await the results of Yuki’s (Tsunoda) test with Red Bull.”
“But I think our plan is to make an official announcement at the end of the week.”
Strong rumors suggest that Red Bull has left the decision to Perez—either step down gracefully and retain a highly lucrative ambassadorial role or demand a termination settlement and sever all ties with the energy drink brand.
“I think we all know how tough this year has been, so it’s just about discussing what’s best for everyone moving forward,” Perez said.
“We’ll see what happens.”
When asked directly if he would race in 2025, he added: “For now, what I’ve said is all I know. I have a contract to drive next year, so it’s about reaching an agreement, hopefully. I don’t know what the team wants to do. Unless something changes in the coming days, the situation is that I have a contract to race next year. So, we’ll see what happens and how the discussions progress.”
“I’m very happy the season is over. We’ll see what’s next, but it’s been a pleasure working with Max.”
Four-time world champion Verstappen returned the sentiment.
“I’ve always worked very well with Checo. He’s a great guy. It’s very rare to find a teammate like him, and to be honest, I feel sorry for him. I think people are very hard on him.”
“Of course, some weekends could have gone better, but sometimes he’s very hard on himself because he’s not stupid. He’s always been regarded as a great driver, and it wasn’t easy, as sometimes it was very challenging to drive this car.”
As for Perez’s future, Verstappen responded: “I don’t know, but I’m very happy to have worked with him. I’m sure if he’s not here in 2025, we’ll still see each other outside of Formula 1.”
While Red Bull is giving Tsunoda a test in Verstappen’s championship-winning car this week, the frontrunner to succeed Perez is Liam Lawson.
“I don’t have a confirmed seat for next year yet,” said the New Zealander after the Abu Dhabi GP, “but mentally I’m strong. I’ve been dealing with this kind of pressure for six years. If they like that, I can deliver it.”
As for Tsunoda, he appears to accept that he’s not in serious contention for the seat. When asked if he would be surprised to be chosen, the Japanese driver replied: “On one hand, it would surprise me. On the other hand, it wouldn’t. Formula 1 has a lot to do with politics.”
Should Lawson or Tsunoda be promoted, Isack Hadjar will take the vacant seat at Racing Bulls.
- Discover More>Horner Highlights Importance of Both Drivers Scoring Points Consistently
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates.
Red Bull Faces Key Calls on Perez and Rising Stars Red Bull Faces Key Calls on Perez and Rising Stars
