On the 4th of June, Red Bull announced a multi-year contract for Sergio Perez. Not only was decision costly in their battle for the constructors title, but it is already complicating their plans to replace Perez for 2025.
Red Bull not fully in control of whether Sergio Perez will continue
Red Bull have rarely allowed contracts to impede their driver line-ups.
In just the last eighteen months, mid-season decisions have seen unexpected chances arise for Ricciardo, De Vries and Lawson.
However, all these drivers were contracted with VCARB – not the main team.
Replacing Sergio Perez, who currently has a long-term deal, is a far more complicated prospect for Red Bull.
Although Christian Horner’s team have hinted for several weeks they no longer want Perez, replacing him will require negotiations behind the scenes.
Perez insists his contract stands
Speaking to the media in Abu Dhabi, Perez’s comments summarised the dynamics behind the scenes:
“Like I said, we’re going to be talking in the coming days.
“We will discuss the situation from both parties, and see if we are able to reach an agreement.
“If not, like I said, I’ve got a contract for next year.”
The 34-year-old has been adamant for several months about the soundness of his position within the team.
In order for Red Bull to put someone else alongside Max Verstappen, they will need Perez to voluntarily step down.
Because of this dynamic, team principal Christian Horner has produced quotes like this one:
“This season hasn’t gone to anyone’s plan, particularly with Checo’s performance and since Monaco. It’s been very, very tough for him.
“So inevitably, once we get this race out of the way, we’ll sit down and discuss the future…
“We’ve got two talented drivers in VCARB [Tsunoda and Lawson].
“But until the situation is clear with Sergio and what he wants to do, everything else is purely speculation.”
Negotiations will pivotal
Although LWOS has previously analysed Red Bull’s reluctance to promote its young drivers, this is no longer Perez’s saving grace.
Instead, his existing deal with the team could add another twist to this ongoing driver saga.
Red Bull’s decision to offer Perez a contract so early in the season (especially after two poor races in Imola and Monaco) was always a baffling one.
The Austrian team rushed to give him a contract despite the growing evidence that a change was needed.
Perhaps by offering a contract quickly, the Austrian squad hoped to avoid any further speculation.
However, with Ferrari and McLaren becoming regular contenders at the front, this move was detrimental for the constructors title – creating more problems than solutions.
As evidenced by almost all of his interviews, Sergio Perez believes he is entitled to continue racing with Red Bull next season.
Given that he has a contract, this is a perfectly logical stance.
The question is whether Christian Horner and Helmut Marko can convince Perez to walk away.
If they are unsuccessful, then making a driver change will be difficult for the Milton Keynes squad.
Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are both ready and waiting for Red Bull to promote them into the main team. All the evidence suggests they would offer an improvement for 2025.
Unfortunately for the VCARB duo, Red Bull’s poor decision-making has added an unnecessary complication to their driver situation.
