With Sergio Perez’s contract expiring at the end of this year and many other F1 stars vying for his seat, Red Bull must decide what to do with the Mexican driver.
Despite Sergio Perez’s suggestion that Red Bull will make a decision regarding its 2025 driver lineup in a matter of weeks, the team will not make a snap decision.
Despite facing pressure heading into the season, Perez has performed admirably, finishing on the podium in three of the first four races. His most recent victory came in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. Following that, he stated he would soon know if he would continue to drive for Red Bull.
“I am quite at ease with it,” the Mexican stated. His present deal is set to expire in December. “This is my fourteenth season in Formula One, and I couldn’t be happier with my performance thus far.
It will only be a matter of time, in my opinion. The driver market is already in motion and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. I anticipate knowing exactly what I’m doing for next year in less than a month.”
But Red Bull appears to be operating on a different schedule. In an interview with Motorsport.com, team advisor Helmut Marko hinted that a decision about Max Verstappen’s 2025 racing partner won’t be made anytime soon.
The Austrian further stated that in an attempt to persuade Carlos Sainz to join the project, Audi, whose works team will debut in 2026, is the one applying pressure on the driver market. “Normally, no one talks [about] April in April, but the driver market has exploded in April,” Marko stated.
“We’re not going to play this game ourselves; it’s absurd. We’ll observe first, then decide later on the best course of action. I have no idea what’s going on. Though it seems a little odd for a newcomer to put pressure on the driver market, I have heard that Audi is doing so.”
It’s possible that Red Bull will decide on Perez’s future after the summer break, at the very least. Team principal Christian Horner says the Mexican has the right to win the seat until then.
“He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing,” he stated. Even though there have only been four races this year, it seems like the driver market is heating up this year, with everyone rushing around.
“We’re not rushing at all. And, as you might anticipate, there’s a great deal of interest in our cars. However, Checo comes first, and we won’t be thinking about next year until after a few more races.”
