There are plenty of fascinating storylines to dissect heading into the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Max Verstappen may have already wrapped up his fourth Drivers’ Championship, but Red Bull are still being widely discussed with next year in mind.
That’s because Sergio Perez has had a campaign to forget alongside the Dutchman in 2024.
The Mexican driver will finish eighth in the championship this year regardless of where he finishes at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
He will start the race in 10th, managing to advance to Q3 after being on the bubble in Q2 but failing to set a time faster than Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg and crucially Valtteri Bottas, who has yet to score a point for Sauber this season.
Perez has no regrets going into the winter break, but his future is very much undecided despite signing a new contract earlier this year.
Red Bull may have already decided Perez’s replacement but the 34-year-old has been bullish during interview in Abu Dhabi that he’ll still be on the grid with Red Bull next season.
Helmut Marko is Red Bull’s senior advisor and also helps develop the team’s young drivers.
The veteran Austrian is a man every driver will want to keep on thier side and he’s discussed in an interview with Motorsport where Perez currently sits when it comes to his future with Red Bull beyond 2024.
Helmut Marko says Sergio Perez exit is not ‘in our hands’ during Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend
Perez’s future is set to be formally decided during a shareholder meeting happening on Monday after the final Grand Prix of the season.
While many indications suggest that Perez will be moved on ahead of next year, Perez has survived a meeting like this already this season when it looked like he was going to be moved on during the summer break.
Marko was asked whether the ball was in Perez’s or Red Bull’s court on his future and said: “‘We are now looking for a solution that both parties can finally agree on.”
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It was then put to Marko whether his exit would be ‘nicer’ than how Daniel Ricciardo left at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix and he continued: “Yes, but it’s not really in our hands.
“In the end, both parties have to agree.”
That makes life difficult for Red Bull considering how confident Perez is that he’s still got a contract for next season.
Ricciardo’s departure in Singapore was bizarre, with everyone knowing what was about to happen without directly saying it.
Helmut Marko gives ‘more positive’ outlook on Sergio Perez’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix performance
Marko was asked about how Perez fared during Saturday’s qualifying session and said: “It was clearly a more positive performance from Checo.
“He’s in the top 10 and that hasn’t been the case for a long time, so that in itself is a good thing.
“Of course, he also lost a lap due to the track limits [lap he made up at the end], but I think overall our speed is better than the qualifying result shows.”
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Perez was furious that he had to go out twice in Q1 after having a lap reinstated for track limits but he spent the entire session on the edge.
He will need to go into Sunday’s race with that same attitude although it’s unclear if there’s any result that can save his seat.
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