Sergio Perez is facing a fresh round of questions over his Red Bull future at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The end of the 2024 season is only a fortnight away, but it’s still unclear who will be Max Verstappen’s teammate next year.
Perez needs to produce the kind of performance he did at the Azerbaijan GP in September – probably more than once – to even remotely justify staying on. He outqualified Max Verstappen in Baku and was on course for a podium before a late crash with Carlos Sainz.
It’s perhaps unrealistic to expect a repeat of that qualifying performance. But Perez has been six-tenths slower than Verstappen on average over a single lap this year, and needs to at least cut that deficit in half.
He must then do what he failed to do in Azerbaijan and bring home a strong haul of points. He hasn’t finished in the top five since the Miami GP at the start of May.
Red Bull are seeking a Franco Colapinto deal with Williams, which would allow them to place the Argentine at RB or even the top team. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson is auditioning for the seat, with Yuki Tsunoda offering a yardstick after being overlooked by Christian Horner.
Perez may privately hope the deal for Colapinto doesn’t come off. Likewise, he may want Lawson to struggle in the coming races to sew some doubts among the Red Bull hierarchy.
Sergio Perez says he’s ‘all in’ at Red Bull in 2025
Perez has been consistently bullish about his Red Bull future and he remained so during an appearance on ESPN show Ahora o Nunco ahead of the Las Vegas GP. Host Mauricio Pedroza asked how many chips he should theoretically bet on him keeping his seat.
Perez simply replied: “All in.”
The 34-year-old signed a new one-plus-one contract in June. With a demotion to RB not considered a possibility, there are no other seats remaining on the 2025 grid.
Perez’s father still believes he can win a world championship before he retires. Unless Verstappen leaves, he’ll have to beat an all-time great to do so, which looks extremely unlikely.
Why Sergio Perez’s contract won’t save him at Red Bull
Perez’s stance seems to be that he’s signed a contract, so he’s guaranteed a seat. If there’s a performance clause through which Red Bull could axe him, he’s not outwardly concerned.
Martin Brundle fears Red Bull may face legal issues if they try to terminate his deal. There are some cleaner exit routes available, though it’s unclear if either is realistic.
Red Bull want Perez to retire, which would allow him to save face and open the door for a replacement. As for a possible pay-off, Perez has demanded more than £15m.
The team stands to lose significant prize money if they finish third in the constructors’, which would largely be down to the Mexican. Karun Chandhok doubts Red Bull will put up with Perez in that instance, contract or otherwise.
