Red Bull Racing will be revelling in the performance of Max Verstappen after he secured a fourth world championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
While Max Verstappen couldn’t add to his eight victories down the Las Vegas strip, a 5th-place finish was enough to give him an unassailable lead over McLaren driver Lando Norris.
Red Bull had their custom printed M4X t-shirts at the ready for when he crossed the finish line, despite Mercedes and Ferrari having a significant advantage over their rivals.
In stark contrast, Sergio Perez drove well to secure the final championship point of the day.
Perez was eliminated from qualifying in the first session, and the Mexican driver had to race through the pack to contribute to Red Bull’s points tally today.
Red Bull’s faint hopes of winning the Constructors’ Championship faded even further in Las Vegas, with Ferrari and McLaren increasing their advantage.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
593 |
| 2 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
557 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
544 |
| 4 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
382 |
| 5 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
86 |
| 6 |
Alpine F1 Team |
49 |
| 7 |
Haas F1 Team |
46 |
| 8 |
Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team |
44 |
| 9 |
Williams F1 Team |
17 |
| 10 |
Sauber F1 Team |
0 |
Losing the team championship will come down to Perez’s underperformance given Verstappen’s dominance of the rest of the field.
It’s raised further questions about Perez’s suitability going into next year.
Danica Patrick tells Red Bull to make ‘great decision’ and drop Sergio Perez
The 34-year-old signed a new deal ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix earlier in the year, with Red Bull hoping it would relieve some of the pressure on him.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t had the desired effect, with Perez failing to finish on the podium since the Sprint Race in Miami.
He only recovered five positions on the track in Las Vegas, while also benefitting from Pierre Gasly’s retirement from the race after starting 3rd on the grid.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
Simon Lazenby asked the Sky Sports F1 panel if Verstappen would have a new teammate next year off the back of his championship-winning performance and Karun Chandhok said: “I think they need it if they want to win the Constructors’ [Championship].”
Patrick added: “I think it would be a great decision,” before Jenson Button concluded: “Yes, I think that would be a good decision.”
Red Bull set to make Sergio Perez decision after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Helmut Marko is one of Perez’s biggest critics within the Red Bull team and took a sly dig at the Mexican after the race.
He said in an interview with DAZN, “We have to have two drivers who finish in the points. Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio.
“For now, the main thing was to win the championship for Max. But for our employees, it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses, as they depend on our position in the Constructors’ Championship.”
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Marko has linked Tsunoda with a Red Bull promotion and he impressed with RB in Las Vegas, beating Perez and scoring a couple of vital points for his team.
Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto have both been named as potential candidates for a Red Bull seat in the future but had weekends to forget.
Senior Red Bull staff have concerns about Tsunoda which is why Perez may feel confident that his seat is safe for the beginning of 2025.
It’s not because his performances have been good enough, but because Red Bull don’t have a strong alternative option available to them.
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