If Red Bull finish P3 in the Constructors’, that financial hit is on them after not ditching Sergio Perez, says Karun Chandhok.

Red Bull continued their dominant ways with Max Verstappen in the early stages of F1 2024, but the emergence of rivals McLaren, Ferrari and at times Mercedes as serious threats coincided with Sergio Perez’s form tailing off, with speculation returning over his future.

Karun Chandhok claims Red Bull financial own goal

Perez survived a rumoured summer break axe, but the talk has not eased up, with the Mexican without a podium since April’s Chinese Grand Prix, meaning that despite him being contracted to partner Verstappen for F1 2025, that is reportedly not a certainty, with the likes of VCARB’s Liam Lawson and Williams’ Franco Colapinto linked with the second Red Bull seat.

However, keeping track of the rumour mill is proving too much for Chandhok to cope with.

Asked by Sky F1 lead commentator David Croft what will happen with the Red Bull driver situation, ex-F1 driver turned Sky F1 pundit Chandhok replied: “I’ve given up trying to work it out. I honestly have.

“It’s really difficult to work out what they’re going to do between Perez, Lawson, [Yuki] Tsunoda, Colapinto seems to be on the radar. Isack Hadjar I saw some lines in the press, he’s going to be testing in Abu Dhabi as well. Is he an outside contender for an RB seat if Lawson goes in the Red Bull?

“I mean, apart from Max being there, and probably Yuki being at RB, we think…”

After Croft pointed out that Tsunoda will get his Red Bull outing in the Abu Dhabi post-F1 2024 season test, Chandhok added: “I don’t know. I’ve basically given up. I’m just going to wait for the announcement.”

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Croft would bring up the point that “Sergio Perez, according to Sergio Perez, has a contract for next year”, though Chandhok does not see why Red Bull could not back out of that arrangement.

And having dropped to P3 in the standings, 13 points behind Ferrari and 49 back from leaders McLaren, Chandhok said the financial hit if they finish there is on Red Bull for not showing Perez the door.

“Yeah, but he’s only scored eight points in the last five race weekends,” said Chandhok in response to Croft, “two of which involved a sprint.

“I’m sure he’s got a contract, but ultimately, they’ve got to look at what is the best opportunity to score enough points to win the Constructors’ World Championship.

“If they’re going to finish third, that’s a heap of money that they’ve cost themselves.

“And despite all drivers, you know, you have contracts, there will be performance clauses in there. And those are the bits that we don’t hear about.”

Of Red Bull’s current 544 Constructors’ total, Verstappen has contributed 393 points to Perez’s 151.

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