Formula 1 has become incredibly competitive this season, with both McLaren and Ferrari overtaking Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Austrian team struggled throughout much of the season. McLaren, in particular, had a fast car but the Red Bull team benefited from errors by Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive world championship last time out at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with a cautious drive to fifth place.
The Dutchman suffered with a very difficult Red Bull car to drive for much of the season which was a surprise after being so dominant and winning 19 races last year.
Gary Anderson told the Formula For Success podcast that one driver in particular is under pressure and may be in danger of losing his drive at the end of the season.
Gary Anderson feels Sergio Perez’s ‘time’s got to be up’ at Red Bull
Sergio Perez has floundered over the past couple of seasons and the gap between himself and Verstappen is now significant at every race weekend.
The Mexican driver hasn’t scored a podium finish since the Chinese Grand Prix in April and has failed to maximise his car.
He has scored 39 podiums in his career but Verstappen has been a lot quicker than him since the pair teamed up ahead of the 2021 season.
Perez is under pressure as he is 251 points behind Verstappen and hasn’t finished ahead of the four-time world champion when both have seen the chequered flag this year.
Anderson explained that Perez could be on the verge of losing his drive, and there are a lot of young drivers joining the grid next year.
He said: “I think his time’s got to be up. It’s just one of those situations where why should he be able to continue?
“Loads of young drivers coming in now. Some of the old boys are getting spirited out of it. Perez, with all his time, he’s 251 points. As of today, he’s 251 points behind his teammate Verstappen. That’s not enough. That’s all you can look at.
“You might have a race of bad luck, you might have a couple of races of bad luck, but you also need to have a race of two good luck. And it all balances out at the end of the day, but he has not been competitive enough. Teammate comparison, he is the worst.”
Who could replace Sergio Perez for next season at Red Bull?
Perez does have a contract at Red Bull for next season but has been a significant part of the team’s struggles in retaining the Constructors’ Championship.
The Mexican could be replaced by Liam Lawson, who is impressing at Red Bull’s sister team RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson would be a good replacement as he has developed within the Red Bull team and understands how they operate.
Franco Colapinto could be another candidate, but he is less experienced than Lawson, and putting him alongside Verstappen in 2025 could damage his career.
