Formula 1 driver linked to Red Bull could spell trouble for Sergio Perez

As a longtime Formula 1 fan with decades of races under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia as we witness the changing tides in the world of F1. The rumors surrounding Sergio Perez have been swirling for quite some time now, and it seems like the winds of change are finally blowing his way.

Over the past year and a half, there have been numerous whispers about Sergio Perez, suggesting that he could potentially be let go by Red Bull, despite his current contract keeping him with the team until the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Before the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, both Perez and his teammate Max Verstappen had emerged victorious in two races each out of the season’s initial four, with Perez qualifying first (on pole) for the race. Given this, he was considered the top contender to take over the world championship lead from a two-time defending champion at that time.

In the 2024 season, Verstappen triumphed an impressive seven times, making it a record number of wins. On the other hand, Perez hasn’t managed to secure a victory since then, with his best performance being sixth place in each of the last fourteen races.

Much speculation about Perez’s potential replacement centered around Red Bull having confidence in Daniel Ricciardo to take over instead. After some challenging periods with Renault and McLaren since leaving Red Bull in 2018, Ricciardo has been re-recruited by the team as a third driver for 2023.

In the middle of the 2023 racing season, Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri (now RB) requested Daniel Ricciardo to fill in for Nyck de Vries who was underperforming. There were also whispers that Sergio Perez might retire during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend last year. However, neither of those events transpired, and both Perez and Ricciardo remained with their respective teams for the 2024 season.

But amid a season of struggle in 2024, Ricciardo got similar treatment from RB and was replaced by Liam Lawson.

Last year, Lawson stepped in for Ricciardo during five races due to the latter’s broken hand sustained from a crash at Zandvoort. In those races, only Tsunoda managed to outperform Lawson, leading many to believe that Lawson had demonstrated sufficient skill to secure the second RB seat ahead of Ricciardo in 2024.

Due to that action not being carried out, and since he wasn’t provided with a driving position for the year 2024, Red Bull might lose the young New Zealander, Lawson, in 2025. Helmut Marko has made it clear that Lawson will be part of their four-car lineup next season, implying a driver change is imminent.

The driver’s change occurred earlier than expected, before the recent United States Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

It’s worth considering whether the lack of official confirmation from Red Bull regarding Lawson for the 2025 season might be in his favor. Could it be that the confirmation is actually for a position within the main Red Bull team rather than their sister team?

After making his comeback to Formula 1, he moved up from 19th position to finish ninth at COTA, earning two points. This put him five spots ahead of Tsunoda, who hasn’t scored any points in his last six races. Despite driving the same car as Perez, Verstappen could only manage seventh place. Interestingly, both Ferrari drivers, Leclerc and Sainz Jr., finished ahead of them.

Despite the Red Bull not being the swiftest ride on the track since April, we’re hanging tough at third place in the constructor standings, and I, Verstappen, am still leading the world championship by a comfortable 47-point margin over Lando Norris from McLaren. No victories since June, but hey, I’ve got twice as many wins as any other driver after 20 races this year. With sprints included, I’ve claimed victory in 11 out of the 24 races so far.

Due to Perez’s subpar performance, the team has lost crucial points. Now, they possess the opportunity to switch drivers and find a more dependable one instead.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been following the buzz surrounding the 34-year-old Mexican player for quite some time now. But until this moment, none of the speculations about his future have ever rung true – until today, that is.

Last season, Ricciardo struggled to regain his form following his return to the track with RB after taking over from de Vries. However, it appears that his performance level has dropped significantly compared to before. On the other hand, Lawson, in a limited number of races so far, has shown that he possesses the ability to excel.

It seems unlikely that Perez will shift to Racing Branch (RB), as they have expressed their intention to return to their previous function, acting as a sort of training ground for young drivers within the Red Bull racing program.

In simpler terms, Ayuma Iwasa, a Red Bull junior previously involved in Formula 2 and now competing in Japanese Super Formula, and Isack Hadjar, currently ranked second in Formula 2, are likely to take leading roles.

Maybe the team could consider Franco Colapinto as an option, given his impressive performance since taking over from Logan Sargeant at Williams, or perhaps Gabriel Bortoleto, Formule 2’s current points leader, if neither is needed to replace Valtteri Bottas at Sauber/Audi.

The Mexico City Grand Prix over the weekend was challenging, but Lawson’s impressive performance at COTA suggests he is a genuine candidate for the second Red Bull racing seat. It could be said that we have moved from the “speculation phase” to the “it would be surprising if it didn’t happen phase.

It’s possible that fans adore Perez, and he does contribute substantial financial backing to the team. However, if Lawson maintains his current form in Formula 1 races over the next few years, it seems unlikely that there would be a valid case for keeping Perez partnered with Verstappen past the end of the 2024 season, based purely on performance.

2024-10-30 13:32