Sergio Perez was one of 13 drivers who entered the 2024 season out of contract. And Red Bull had already started to lose faith.
The signing of Perez was initially regarded as a success. Red Bull ‘didn’t care’ about the 2021 constructors’ title, won by Mercedes, because Max Verstappen unexpectedly delivered the drivers’ title.
Perez lost out to corresponding number two Valtteri Bottas, but his stellar defensive driving against Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi GP helped Verstappen win the title. He won his first Grand Prix in Azerbaijan that year, but it was those laps in Yas Marina that were most memorable.
Perez delivered what was arguably a career-best run of form at the start of 2022, earning a two-year extension off the back of his Monaco GP victory. He briefly looked like a potential title challenger.
That prospect soon faded, and while he won two of the first four Grands Prix in 2023, Verstappen utterly blitzed him thereafter. The margin between the two drivers, even though they were first and second, stood at a record 290 points.
It was at this juncture that Red Bull considered a change. In the end, Perez stayed, started well once again, but deteriorated so dramatically that the team backed out of their initial commitment for 2025.
McLaren driver Lando Norris rejected Red Bull approach before 2024 season
The 2023 RB19 was the most dominant car in F1 history, but it only looked that way in the hands of Verstappen. Between his runner-up finish in Miami and the end of the season, Perez only scored five podiums in 17 races; Verstappen won 16 of them.
The Mexican also failed to make Q3 in nine out of 22 events. He only just about edged Alpine’s Pierre Gasly for appearances in the top-10 shootout (13 vs 11).
As pointed out by Ben Anderson on The Race F1 YouTube channel, Red Bull looked past his runner-up finish in light of these worrying statistics. They knew his limitations would be exposed if the Bulls lost their commanding lead over the rest of the field, and so it proved.
That’s why Christian Horner pursued a marquee driver signing over the off-season. For the second time since the start of 2021, he chased Lando Norris, but the British driver signed a new deal at the end of January to ward them off.
“For the second time in Perez’s tenure there, Red Bull made serious attempts at convincing Norris to join as his replacement,” Anderson said. “Norris turned them down – again. And the fears about other teams catching up finally came true in 2024.”
What Christian Horner has said about Red Bull’s interest in Lando Norris
Norris is one of the most coveted drivers on the F1 grid right now. He won his first four Grands Prix in 2024, matched Verstappen’s tally of eight pole positions and increased his podium haul to 26, all while being one of the youngest out there.
He stands on the precipice of a title-winning level, but he’s locked into a lucrative deal. Norris’ McLaren contract runs until the end of 2028, with an option for 2029 too.
McLaren pay him a base salary of £9.5m, but that nearly tripled to £28m this year through bonuses. Red Bull are one of the few teams who could afford to match those terms.
Speaking on the most recent season of Drive to Survive, Christian Horner said Red Bull would ‘certainly be interested’ in Norris. The team’s reluctance to sign Carlos Sainz suggests they no longer want a driver who can truly threaten Verstappen, so they may wait until the Dutchman leaves – if that ever happens – to mount their next offensive.
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