Sergio Perez is reportedly set to leave Red Bull at the end of the season. After months of speculation, it seems Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have settled on a change.
This could be made official after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the end of the week. But first, Red Bull must find a way out of the one-plus-one contract they gave Perez in June.
One option is to pay him off, effectively handing him the wages he’d otherwise miss out on. It was reported last month that Perez wants £15.7m as his compensation.
Red Bull will almost certainly finish third in the constructors’ standings, which means a significant hit to their prize money after back-to-back titles. Add to that the loss of Perez’s immense commercial incentives, and a payoff starts to look like a major strain.
Red Bull would love Perez to retire, protecting his own reputation and limiting the cost. But it’s unclear if the driver is willing to take this route.
As for potential replacements, Franco Colapinto is out of Red Bull contention after a poor run of weekends for Williams. That makes it a shoot-out between RB duo Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.
Yuki Tsunoda says he needs to boost his PR amid battle for Sergio Perez Red Bull drive
Speaking to DAZN after the Qatar GP, Tsunoda said he needed to work on his image. He joked that he could carry out a publicity stunt before Abu Dhabi.
While his comments were clearly light-hearted, there was a layer of truth beneath them. Tsunoda is trying to work out why he’s seemingly unfancied despite his strong performances this year.
He ranks 12th in the drivers’ standings, and if you added together the points of his teammates Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo, they would only be joint-15th with Kevin Magnussen (16). He’s also won the qualifying head-to-head by a combined margin of 16-6.
And yet, before the race at Lusail, Marko said Tsunoda lacked ‘stability’. He acknowledged that the Japanese driver had plenty of raw speed, but once again expressed his doubts.
“Maybe I need to create a video for social media,” Tsunoda said. “Maybe I have to climb up to a high place, drink a Red Bull and prove that the drink really gives me wings. Jump from the second floor and land perfectly.
“I think it’s the best way to promote Red Bull cans. I need that, more marketing. We can try this weekend, but we have to make sure there is a reserve driver, just in case. Or maybe after Abu Dhabi.”
Jenson Button’s warning to Yuki Tsunoda over joining Red Bull
Tsunoda has been punchy in the media in recent times as he tries to make his case for Red Bull. It’s unclear whether the team will see this self-confidence as a positive, or whether they’d prefer him to tow the party line.
On Thursday, Tsunoda said ‘politics’ were at play in Red Bull’s decision. He admitted he wasn’t sure if he was ‘in the race’ despite public indications.
One journalist believes Tsunoda was driving ‘stressed’ in Qatar as he desperately tried to showcase his talents. He placed between 13th and 17th in all four meaningful sessions.
Jenson Button has questioned Tsunoda’s desire to join Red Bull. While he thinks he deserves the seat, he’s wary that Max Verstappen has damaged multiple careers since Ricciardo left in 2018.
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