Jenson Button ‘would love’ Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez with zero-podium F1 driver

Jenson Button has named the Formula 1 driver he would ‘love’ to see replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull after the Mexican’s woeful qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

While Red Bull could see Max Verstappen win his fourth successive drivers’ championship in Sin City, the team from Milton Keynes are stomaching another shocking showing from Perez. The 34-year-old failed to get out of Q1 for the sixth time this season after bowing out in P16.

All Verstappen needs to seal his latest Formula 1 title in the Las Vegas GP is to prevent Lando Norris from outscoring the 27-year-old by three points or more. He is even in championship position after qualifying in P5, with the Dutchman’s McLaren rival only able to finish in sixth.

Jenson Button would ‘love’ Yuki Tsunoda to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull

But while one side of the garage might celebrate in Sin City, Perez left Red Bull reeling after a disastrous qualifying for the Las Vegas GP. The Mexican missed out on a spot in Q2 by 0.068 seconds to Visa Cash App RB star Liam Lawson, who may replace Perez at Red Bull in 2025.

Doubts continue to linger about Perez’s future in Milton Keynes, despite Red Bull extending his contract through 2025 this June. The team even included an option to keep the Mexican in 2026. But his lack of form has even seen Danica Patrick tell Perez to retire from Formula 1.

Should team principal Christian Horner decide to pull the plug, it would cost them a fortune. Perez wants Red Bull to pay £16m to terminate his contract early and keeps insisting he will be on the grid in 2025. Button doubts any changes will occur before the end of the year, too.

But if Red Bull decide to sack Perez, 2009 F1 champion Button would ‘love’ to see Visa Cash App RB’s other driver Yuki Tsunoda get the promotion. The 24-year-old is rarely considered a contender for the drive alongside Lawson, with Franco Colapinto also targeted by Red Bull.

“Contractually? Probably not,” Button told Sky Sports F1 (23/11, 08:09) on the chances that Red Bull fire Perez in-season. “It’s a tricky one. He’s been a long way off for a long time now.

“I don’t know anyone who’s had that many opportunities in this sport in such a big team, a team who’s the world champions. I would love to see someone like Yuki jump in just to see what he can do.

“I think Yuki is in a really good place right now in terms of he’s gone through that period of being a bit aggressive – especially what he says on the radio – [and] a few incidents. He’s come out the other side. He’s so chilled and confident in his ability, which is great.”

Red Bull are considering Liam Lawson for 2025 but not Yuki Tsunoda

Perez’s latest disappointing qualifying performance at the Las Vegas GP only serves to lump more pressure on the Mexican in his bid to convince Horner that he should be Verstappen’s teammate for 2025. Right now, Perez is set to cost Red Bull the constructors’ championship.

While Verstappen’s consistency is set to see him secure another drivers’ championship, Red Bull have not been able to rely on Perez. The Guadalajara native has not stood on a podium since taking P3 in the Chinese Grand Prix back in round five of the 21 completed this season.

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Red Bull saw Perez start the season as they needed with four podiums in the first five Grand Prix. But the Las Vegas GP, which marks round 22 of 24, follows him failing to score points in three of the last five Grand Prix, including both of the past two in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.

Tsunoda, who has never finished on a podium, took his first top-10 since round 13 with P7 in the Sao Paulo GP. During his drought, Daniel Ricciardo took one top-10 with P10 in Belgium before RB replaced the Australian with Lawson – who finished P9 in Texas and in Sao Paulo.

Yet Red Bull have a ‘fundamental problem’ with Tsunoda as he is a Honda-backed driver and are not considering the Japanese racer to replace Perez. Instead, Tsunoda will stay in Faenza next season after Visa Cash App RB took up their option in his contract for the 2025 season.