Red Bull Racing and Sergio Perez might be about to bring their four-year partnership to an end in Formula 1.
At the end of the 2020 season, Red Bull decided that they needed to make a change alongside Max Verstappen.
Verstappen finished third in the Drivers’ Championship while Alex Albon could only secure a seventh-place finish in the standings, scoring less than half of the points his teammate managed.
Sergio Perez was impressing at Racing Points that year and looked set to be without a drive before Red Bull offered him a lifeline.
His father, Antonio Perez Garibay, had helped keep that team afloat and has been one of his son’s biggest fans.
He witnessed at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Perez play a key role in holding up Lewis Hamilton as Verstappen won one of the most dramatic championships in the sport’s history.
Perez then became the first driver in Red Bull history last year to secure a one-two finish for the team, albeit a long way back from Verstappen in the most dominant car in the sport’s history.
However, Perez is now under serious pressure and could lose his seat after the final race of the 2024 campaign.
The 34-year-old’s contract runs until the end of 2025 with an option for an additional year, but whether Red Bull will hold onto Perez for that long remains to be seen.
Sergio Perez’s father sends a defiant message as his time at Red Bull could be about to end
At this season’s Mexico City Grand Prix, rumours that Perez could retire from F1 emerged given his struggles throughout the year.
Perez’s father denied he would leave F1 and as it turned out, no announcement came from the six-time race winner.
Antonio Perez even said Sergio could be a world champion, however, it would need to be in a much quicker car and with a much slower teammate beside him.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
Perez Sr. took to Instagram in the build-up to this year’s finale and simply said: “MEXICO, NEVER GIVE UP.”
This was posted alongside a collage of Perez’s biggest achievements in Formula 1.
Unfortunately for Perez, Red Bull have a host of drivers they can call upon should they decide to bring their partnership to an end.
Red Bull and RB could line up with four home-grown drivers in 2025
Much has been made of the pool of young drivers Red Bull have been developing over the years under the gaze of Helmut Marko.
Marko pushed hard for Liam Lawson to replace Daniel Ricciardo earlier in the year and finally got his wish after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Christian Horner and Marko are leaning towards Yuki Tsunoda to replace Perez at the end of the season.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Tsunoda will take part in a post-season test in Abu Dhabi next week and after four years with the junior team, might finally get his chance to compare himself to Verstappen.
Isack Hadjar is tipped for an RB promotion if either Tsunoda or Lawson takes Perez’s place.
The French driver is just half a point behind new Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto going into the F2 finale and Hadjar winning that title would draw further praise from Horner.
