Red Bull faces a decision after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over whether they plan to replace Sergio Perez at the end of the season.
Perez has been underperforming all season having only scored 152 points compared to 429 points for teammate Max Verstappen, who clinched his fourth title in Las Vegas and won his ninth race in Qatar.
By contrast, Perez has not won a race since the 2023 Azerbaijan GP and failed to finish inside the top ten in three of the last four races. Perez’s poor form has cost Red Bull third in the Constructors’ Championship, prompting rumours that Abu Dhabi could be his last with the team.
Mexican media have told Perez to retire ‘out of dignity’ following comments made by Christian Horner in media that he must ‘come to his own conclusions’ over whether to stay beyond 2024.
If Red Bull does decide to cut ties, there are questions over who will replace him alongside Verstappen. Liam Lawson is the main driver in the running, but Yuki Tsunoda also stands a chance. But according to journalist Nate Saunders speaking on the Unlapped podcast, Horner ‘can’t stomach’ promoting one of the two prospective talents.
Christian Horner ‘cant’t stomach’ Yuki Tsunoda joining Red Bull
Although Tsunoda has been the stand-out driver in Visa CashApp RB this year, scoring the majority of their 46-point total in the Constructors’ Championship, he is seen as a hothead.
The Japanese driver is known for his frantic outbursts on team radio and seemingly getting agitated over anything, with the term ‘Traffic Paradise’ entering F1 lexicon because of him.
Horner sees this as a potential issue going forward, which is why he is not keen for him being promoted to a team that largely relies on personalities to market itself.
“He [Tsunoda] pushes the radio button less now and is very conscious of the fact that the way he come across through the broadcast isn’t probably what Red Bull is looking for,” said Saunders.
“Christian Horner isn’t convinced he is the guy, Marko has to put either driver [from RB] in the [main] Red Bull. I think Horner can stomach Lawson going up there, I don’t think he can stomach Tsunoda going up there.”
Judgement day for Sergio Perez is looming
It is expected that a decision on Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull will be decided imminently over the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, with a meeting set to take place between key Red Bull personnel.
Perez has urged Red Bull to look at the data when considering any decision rather than results, as that tells a better story amid a tough season.
It’s true that the RB20 has not been as successful or easy to drive as its predecessor, but Verstappen has made more opportunities out of weekends that would normally be a write off for any other team.
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The recent Qatar GP is an example, whereby they were miles off the pace set by Mercedes and McLaren, only to turn things around once the cars had got out of Parc Ferme. Red Bull made key setup changes that enabled them to exploit their car’s speed, with Verstappen setting the fastest time in qualifying and going on to dominate the race.
By contrast, Perez was still seven-tenths adrift of his teammate and eventually retired due to a mechanical issue, but was only facing a low top-10 finish. Red Bull will need to consider if it’s appropriate to continue with an underperforming driver that brings in millions in sponsorship deals, or side with youth in 2025.
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