Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko would have been left scratching his head after the Qatar Grand Prix.
While Max Verstappen went on to win his ninth race of the season for Red Bull, his teammate Sergio Perez once again failed to take the chequered flag.
The 34-year-old had a weekend to forget after finishing last in the Sprint Race, with Christian Horner stunned by Perez’s mistake in the pit lane that allowed Franco Colapinto through.
Colapinto is one of a trio of drivers who have been linked with Perez’s seat.
The Argentine appears to be competing with RB pair Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda for the Mexican’s position at Red Bull should they decide to let him go.
Horner has suggested Perez’s future is in his hands, but that may not necessarily be the case.
Helmut Marko has alluded to a shareholders meeting being held the Monday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where Perez’s position will be discussed.
Speaking during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, via Motorsport, Marko seemed to confirm that Colapinto wouldn’t be in contention to replace Perez.
Marko once described Colapinto as ‘extraordinary’, via Motorsport Magazin’s YouTube channel, but it may be too soon for the 21-year-old to step up into such a high-pressure environment.
Helmut Marko all but confirms Franco Colapinto won’t replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull
Talking about Perez’s troubles, Marko said: “We have lost the Constructors’ Championship, I would say.
“And for all the employees, the bonus [extra money] is based only on the Constructors’ Championship.
“So they are going to lose a lot of money and all that. Of course, it is difficult if you don’t have the support or if the people who work for you don’t believe in you anymore.”
Marko was then asked whether the two RB drivers of Tsunoda and Lawson are the main candidates to potentially take Perez’s seat, and he said: “I would say yes.”
READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko? Everything to know
Reflecting on when a decision would be made, Marko said: “There is a meeting on Monday after Abu Dhabi and all the important people [from Red Bull Racing ] are there, all the shareholders, and a decision will be made there.
“We have always, or most of the time, bet on our own drivers, who come from the Red Bull programme and I think it is a philosophical decision: do we continue betting on that?
“What I received from the shareholders goes in this direction.
Franco Colapinto crashes again in Qatar but can’t be blamed this time
Colapinto’s last three races will be remembered for the number of times he found the barriers rather than his impressive speed.
A pair of crashes on Super Sunday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix were followed up by a huge stunt in Las Vegas.
Horner has given his verdict on Colapinto’s debut season but the race weekend in Qatar hasn’t gone his way.
He struggled in both qualifying sessions in Lusail but we never got to see what his race pace was like on Sunday.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Williams driver Franco Colapinto with praise to stats
Colapinto took an outside line going around the first corner as he tried to avoid any trouble.
However, Nico Hulkenberg made contact with Esteban Ocon and Colapinto ended up being collateral damage.
Red Bull’s CEO visited Williams in Las Vegas to presumably discuss a move for the 21-year-old.
It remains to be seen whether a move for Colapinto will be made but if it was up to Marko, he wouldn’t be racing for Red Bull next year.
