Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has indicated that there are no guarantees Sergio Perez will remain with the Formula 1 team in 2025 despite Daniel Ricciardo’s RB axe.
Ricciardo was viewed as the leading option to replace Perez at Red Bull, but RB announced last week that Liam Lawson will complete the remaining six races in 2024.
However, Ricciardo’s departure hasn’t cemented Perez’s place as Red Bull boss Christian Horner implied that Lawson might be considered to partner Max Verstappen.
Perez signed a multi-term deal earlier this season, but that was unable to inspire an uptick as his woes have contributed to Red Bull surrendering top spot to McLaren.
Although Red Bull granted the Mexican a reprieve amid discussions over his seat at the summer break, Perez laboured to 10th place in his recent outing in Singapore.
With Perez’s struggles continuing, Horner expressed that the decision to make a mid-season driver change at RB revolves around Red Bull’s second driver conundrum.
“We need answers for the bigger picture in terms of drivers,” Horner told the F1 Nation podcast.
“And with six races remaining, it’s the perfect opportunity to line Liam up alongside Yuki [Tsunoda], to see how he performs over the remaining six grands prix.
“This goes beyond VCARB, it encompasses Red Bull Racing.
“Obviously we have a contract with Sergio for next year, but you’ve always got to have an eye out in terms of what comes next. Is that going to be Liam?”
Marko argues there’s ‘no guarantees’ in F1
Marko, who had lobbied to land Lawson a permanent spot on the grid, has also insinuated that Perez’s position is not secure next season unless his results improve.
“There is only a guarantee in Formula 1 sport if you perform accordingly,” Marko told RTL/ntv and sport.de.
Perez began the campaign on a positive note as he attained four podiums in the opening five races to help Red Bull open up a vast advantage over the chasing pack.
However, the six-time F1 race winner hasn’t featured on the rostrum since the Chinese Grand Prix as Red Bull’s recent problems hindered him earlier than Verstappen.
“Perez has fluctuations, we know that,” Marko highlighted. “Especially when the car is modified at short notice, it takes him longer to adapt.
“That is certainly one factor why McLaren is currently stronger than us in terms of driver pairings.
“In terms of speed, he can do it. He just has fluctuations that are becoming more and more unpredictable.”
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