Sergio Perez failed to put together a strong performance in COTA, only managing 7th place across the line. He finished only 10 seconds ahead of Liam Lawson in the VCARB 01, as the Kiwi made an immediate impression at the Faenza team. As they evaluate their options for 2025, Red Bull have made clear that Perez must improve.
The pressure continues to increase at Red Bull
Red Bull have traditionally been ruthless with their driver appointments. Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly are some of the most recent casualties of the Austrian team’s ruthless development programme.
Because of this, Red Bull’s patience with Sergio Perez over recent season has been somewhat surprising.
The 6-time race winner is 200 points behind Max Verstappen this season, having ended last year’s campaign almost 300 points adrift from the Dutchman.
As Ferrari and McLaren establish themselves as legitimate contenders, this kind of gap is no longer acceptable. Helmut Marko made this clear in COTA last weekend, speaking bluntly to Sky Germany about Perez’s future:
“We will see, but he needs to improve his performance.”
These were not the only concerning comments for Sergio Perez last weekend – given that Marko described Liam Lawson as a “man for the future” after his impressive P9 result.
Christian Horner made a similar assessment, as the Red Bull team principal explained that Lawson’s comeback met and even surpassed expectations.
Time is running out for Sergio Perez
Of course, this is not to suggest that Perez’s fate is sealed. Red Bull would not have kept him for so long if they didn’t value continuity and stability.
The team based in Milton Keynes could have replaced the Mexican driver last year with virtually zero risk (given their advantage in the standings), yet they chose not to.
Then again, Red Bull could afford to postpone making tough decisions twelve months ago. Their performance advantage meant that Perez’s results were not impacting their position in the standings.
However, the playing field is obviously very different this year. Ferrari and McLaren’s far more equal driver pairings have left Red Bull vulnerable in the constructors standings.
As a result, Red Bull have essentially given up hope of contending for the constructors title, and have shifted their focus to defending the drivers’ Championship with Verstappen.
As they look to maximise their chances in 2025, the Austrian outfit will not retain Sergio Perez without significant improvement in the coming rounds.
