Sergio Perez’s opponents within Red Bull will grow even louder after his dismal qualifying performance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Perez suffered a sixth Q1 exit of the season in Sin City.
For reference, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg have made it to Q2 on more occasions in 2024. As it stands, Perez is due to line up 16th, though that could become 15th if Franco Colapinto’s heavily damaged Williams doesn’t make the starting grid.
Externally, there is huge uncertainty over Perez’s future. At the most basic level, he holds a contract for 2025 after signing an extension in June.
But neither Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko have definitively said he will drive for the team next year. Instead, they’re indicating that the seat next to Max Verstappen is up for grabs.
Horner is ready to promote Liam Lawson from RB, according to reports. That would likely please Marko, who helped him return to F1 at the expense of another struggling veteran in Daniel Ricciardo.
But it’s unclear how exactly Red Bull could escape their commitment to Perez. Speaking on the F1-Insider YouTube channel, journalist Ralf Bach offered a vital update.
Red Bull will have to pay off Sergio Perez with no performance clause in his contract
According to Bach, Perez’s contract no longer contains a performance clause. If there was a sporting benchmark he had to meet, he successfully had it removed when he agreed fresh terms.
As such, in the eyes of ‘the employment court’, his deal is watertight. This echoes what Perez’s manager told Damon Hill last month.
It also explains why he’s been so bullish about his future despite falling way short of expectations. A defiant Perez said he’s ‘all in’ at Red Bull for 2025.
The team would have to pay him off to avoid a potential legal battle. It’s previously been reported that Perez wants more than £15m to walk away.
“Many say that, unfortunately, now with Red Bull in the new contract, there’s no longer a performance clause,” said Bach. “That means, for the employment court, the contract is watertight. It can only be bought out with money.”
Why Jenson Button wants Red Bull to turn down Liam Lawson for 2025 season
Many at Red Bull are desperate for Perez to retire, which would save them a huge amount of money. It would also allow the Mexican to protect his reputation – he wouldn’t be paid not to race.
But a fortnight before the end of the season, that doesn’t seem to be an immediate possibility. One senses that if Perez was to stay from here, it wouldn’t be down to his own strengths.
It would either be a financial measure – Red Bull have banked more than £100m from Perez’s sponsors – or reflect a lack of faith in the alternatives. While Lawson outqualified driver number 11 on Friday night, he ended up 15th and a long way off his teammate.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Jenson Button ‘would love’ Red Bull to sign Tsunoda. He doesn’t seem to be a strong candidate despite scoring 28 points this year – enough to rank just outside the top 10 in the standings.
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