Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has moved to end speculation over Sergio Perez’s future by telling the team’s staff he will continue to drive for them after the summer break.
The team extended Perez’s contract at the beginning of June, taking him into next season. However a spate of poor results since then led Horner to warn the team were throwing away too many points in the constructors’ championship. At Silverstone, where Perez failed to score for the third time in five races, Horner called the situation “unsustainable”.In the two races since, Perez has mustered a pair of seventh place finishes, the latter coming from a front row start at Spa-Francorchamps yesterday. Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko gave a withering verdict on Perez’s performance, saying he “completely collapsed” in the final stint. However Perez served a useful tactical purpose by making his second pit stop early, which helped to protect team mate Max Verstappen from Lando Norris behind him.
Horner gave the strongest indication yet Perez will remain in place until the end of the season when speaking to staff at Red Bull’s base today.
“Checo remains a Red Bull Racing driver despite recent speculation and we look forward to seeing him perform at tracks he has previously excelled at after the summer break,” Horner told the team, a spokesperson confirmed to RaceFans.
Perez dismissed suggestions his place at the team was in danger after yesterday’s race. “I’ve said everything I have to regarding my future,” he told Viaplay.
“I think now the main focus of the team is on getting ourselves sorted and I have nothing further to add. I’ve said everything I have to.”
Verstappen gave his backing to Perez following yesterday’s race. The pair have been team mates since 2021.
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Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
29th July 2024, 20:04
McLaren is losing at halftime but plays against a one-armed goalkeeper.
DaveW (@dmw)
29th July 2024, 23:09
But their striker can only shank it into the stands and poses a threat only to hot dog vendors
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 2:10
Unless this just to tamp down media furor until after the “shootout” between Lawson and DR at Imola, what a sad, bad decision. Adds weight to the idea he’s as much a political pawn against Marko as anything. Let’s see if it actually last.
Also don’t get the idea of how anyone can say Daniel or Yuki wouldn’t make any difference considering they’re usually out qualifying and/out finishing during the past, what, 8 races? And even at the longest track on the calendar, Checo was barely faster in Q1 and Q2 than DR. It also makes no sense since we know DR likes Checo’s setup.
Worse yet if Perez is decent in the remaining 10 races, even if they get rid of Daniel, which I’m assuming they will, it means only one RBR junior maximum is going to get the call up and w/Hadjar being their best prospect, not great.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
29th July 2024, 20:08
Doesn’t surprise me. Unlikely that any of the alternatives would do any better.
notagrumpyfan
29th July 2024, 20:37
Actually I think that both Yuki and Daniel would do better, but not good enough to be a long term (2025) solution.
BasCB (@bascb)
30th July 2024, 7:29
I would almost be curious what you base that thinking (feeling?) on. But really, I just thing it comes down to belief, or a wish to change something.
The reality is that being the second at Red Bull next to Max means always having to face the mental struggle of being shown to be at best an average driver in comparison. The Marko, Horner, strong talk BS doesn’t help, nor does the teams preponderance to think change for the sake of change solves things that needed to be solved by a different approach to their drivers (throw them in at the deep end might work for a driver like Max or Seb earlier, and it worked for Daniel as long as he got the internal support to feel they trust him, until they didn’t).
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 8:58
There’s no objective reason to think neither RB driver would be an upgrade on Checo, unless someone’s definition of “better” = never more one place behind Max in quali and the race. For RBR, being within 3 places of Max most days would be a marked improvement. I don’t think Max has failed to reach Q3 once. Simply never failing to advance from Q1 is an improvement upon Checo.
notagrumpyfan
30th July 2024, 14:16
Until you test it, it will be a guess/thinking/feeling/analysis.
My ‘thinking’ is based on the weekend performances so far this year:
– Yuki had significantly more good weekends than Perez (1x 8, plus 4x 7, vs 1x 7 for Checo);
– And whilst Ricciardo has been very frugal on the upsides, he at least didn’t score the 2’s and 3’s like Checo (who amassed 4x of them).
Enough data to give it a try for the next 10 races.
stefano (@alfa145)
29th July 2024, 22:22
Usually these kind of statements anticipate by a few months (when not weeks) a driver change. The two year contract extension surely is not helping
User563
29th July 2024, 20:09
The patience they have shown him, which Albon, Gasly and Kvyat did not get, is so out of character for the team. I do wonder if they regret signing a deal so early in the season, surely they would have held all the cards and leverage if they had waited until later in the season to see how he did and if a better option came onto the market?
Yaru (@yaru)
29th July 2024, 20:30
Marko confirmed he is extremely popular in Latin America and sells more merchandise than Versteppen.
Bertie
29th July 2024, 21:10
Between that and the Carlos Slim backing, Perez brings big money. I don’t know if any other driver has direct billionaire support behind him.
Stu B
29th July 2024, 21:18
Lance Stroll
Bertie
29th July 2024, 21:21
Whoops!
notagrumpyfan
30th July 2024, 14:30
Logan Sargeant also has a billionaire family connection (uncle), who is rumoured to support him since their internal family fights were settled.
But it won’t come as a surprise to most that he is in F1 not only for his driving skills :P
MichaelN
29th July 2024, 20:35
The whole team seems a bit off on the driver side. Re-hiring a floudering Ricciardo. Sticking with Tsunoda for years. Hanging on to Pérez.
I doubt there’s a lack of interest from drivers. For whatever reason they seem intent on running a pretty sub-optimal group of guys.
Nathan
29th July 2024, 20:11
As a McLaren fan, this is the best news ever. Means we will win the Constructors Championship. Thanks Sergio. :)
The Dolphins
29th July 2024, 20:34
This is just an echo of the Horner-Helmut saga. Do not thank Sergio for the McLaren win, credit goes to the squabbling pair.
Nathan
29th July 2024, 20:59
Fair point well made.
Do they not realise what effect this will have on the staff? They have just seen their end of season bonus go bye-byes in the blink of an eye. Just had a fiver on them to finish 3rd in the WCC. Prob won’t come off but worth a punt.
Alan S Thomson
30th July 2024, 8:25
We will see. Does lando have it in him.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th July 2024, 20:12
Next season is still another matter if he keeps underperforming & costing the team higher points hauls.
bull mello (@bullmello)
29th July 2024, 20:19
And what will happen in 2025?
Doubting Sergio will be there next season.
Edvaldo
29th July 2024, 20:28
It didn’t get better last year with a much better car, why would it now?
Perez got lucky Russell got DSQ otherwise he would already have been passed by all the other drivers from the top teams, even if the Mercedes duo only got a car to fight for big points some 4 or 5 races ago.
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
29th July 2024, 20:30
Wild celebrations breaking out at McLaren HQ right now!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:30
Indeed, 26 years since their last constructor’s championship!
Biggsy
29th July 2024, 20:35
McLaren can’t believe their luck.
Now, if Lando would just get one start properly, maybe he could win something.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:30
That’s as likely as perez getting significantly better.
Leo B
29th July 2024, 20:46
There is something fishy about this whole arrangement at Red Bull.
Patrick (@paeschli)
30th July 2024, 8:05
I’m guessing dropping Perez would be too much of a financial hit (activating an exit clause and losing the Carlos Slim backing might be more expensive than simply finishing second in the constructors championship).
F1FanaticOG (@f1fanaticog)
29th July 2024, 20:47
Horner is at it again. Defending the indefensible Perez. Perez is going to cost the team Constructor’s championship. The always over-rated and now clearly over the hill Perez will have an even difficult second half of the season as other teams will get closer and closer to Redbull and he will start crashing into others.
F1FanaticOG (@f1fanaticog)
29th July 2024, 20:55
Max’s insistence in keeping a poor driver as his teammate doesn’t look good when compared to someone like Lewis who has had World Champion teammates and again is happy to be paired with one of the fastest driver on the grid.
timber
29th July 2024, 20:59
You do realise that making up your own little story to cope with it all, doesn’t automaticallt mean anybody else goes along with your made up little story.
kuvemar
29th July 2024, 22:02
It’s well known that Max wants Checo as a team mate
Patrick (@paeschli)
30th July 2024, 8:06
It is also well known that if a change gets made, he would prefer Ricciardo.
Shows he is not closed to the possibility of having a new teammate.
SteveP
30th July 2024, 18:14
Provided he knows he can beat them
MadMax (@madmax)
29th July 2024, 22:23
reality not suiting your bias?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:32
Well, it’s indeed not good to be afraid of competitive team mates as a top driver, it’s not good for reputation if you don’t ever beat a strong team mate.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 2:14
Max is amazing, but he did actively campaign against Alonso replacing Perez and has thrown his support behind Checo. I doubt he feels he needs a wingman to help him. That feeling might change over a full season though when the RBR doesn’t begin the first third of the calendar with the best car. But “the rest of the season” could still mean Checo is getting replaced.
MacLeod (@macleod)
30th July 2024, 8:06
Giving his backing could mean something different here Max like an team who acts like a team and doesn’t want the same as with Gasly and Albon that doesn’t help with development of the car.
I never heard Max campaigning against Alonso but I heard the reverse of this having Alonso as a teammate. So if you could link a quote from Max saying this?
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 9:05
I never said Max gave Checo his support following yesterday’s race.
I don’t think it gets much clearer than that besides saying, “I don’t want Alonso sitting next to me.”
PacificPR (@streydt)
29th July 2024, 21:16
Just a thought. H and friends wanted Ricciardo in the car and M and friends wanted Tsnudo in the car. No one gives in, Perez stays.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:34
Should alternate race by race! Tsunoda, ricciardo, tsunoda, ricciardo, maybe taking decision on their track record too, example I’d want ricciardo at monza and mexico.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
30th July 2024, 8:02
Red Bull tried rotating drivers once before, and it worked so badly that even the drivers themselves said they should stop doing it.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:34
decisions based on their track record*
SteveP
30th July 2024, 18:15
Ah, you mean Perez stays and drives the catering trolley?
Rick Gomez (@rgomez13)
29th July 2024, 21:19
Are any of their alternatives really that much better than Checo? I’m sure his money is a factor and what’s the point of losing the money to put in a high risk rookie or two known drivers that probably are not much better than Checo.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th July 2024, 1:36
What stopped them from getting sainz? Remember, perez wasn’t part of red bull teams when he joined, he had driven for force india, yet they deemed him good enough to go for him, they were also thinking about russell at the time, so it’s not like they can only get drivers from toro rosso.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 2:23
Yes, their alternatives are clearly better than Checo. Not sure how anyone could argue the alternative. People act like Yuki and Daniel should be getting regular top 10s in a car that ranges from 6th to 9th best on the grid depending on the weekend with maybe two weekends 5th best. It does take a special kind of bad to do as poorly as Checo has this since.
It would take 7 straight wins and 7 straight DNFs by Max for Checo to pull level on points. It really doesn’t get worse than that. Stroll would do better. Magnussen would do better. Even Logan might be better based on the last five races prior to Spa.
Kribana (@krichelle)
29th July 2024, 21:51
No respect for Red Bull. These guys are incapable of managing a “Hamilton-Rosberg pair. They better stop complaining and saying that Perez’s performances are poor. They have signed him, so you have to live with the results he gives you.
Maciek (@maciek)
29th July 2024, 22:08
I’m frankly shocked. I guess they feel he’s their best bet for now, but what does that say about their own assessment of their talent pipeline?
cdavman (@cdavman)
29th July 2024, 22:35
Ok so what dirt does Perez have on Red Bull or Horner?
He must have some secrets he’s more than happy to spill if they drop him. It just doesn’t make sense why they’d keep hanging onto him.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
30th July 2024, 3:24
@cdavman If you do a quick internet search on Carlos Slim, all of your questions will be answered. Perez pays the bills.
MacLeod (@macleod)
30th July 2024, 7:59
Perez does have a great supporter with lots of money (even more then Lance).
Strange enough people forget to think maybe Horner want the second position for the extra research time…..
The team has enough money even without Perez so that isn’t the sole reason to keep him.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 9:19
$ is clearly the major factor keeping him in the seat though and it is no small issue. Being robustly in the black doesn’t just net RBR execs millions in their own pocket, it ensures maximum independence from the parent company. There are plenty of other drivers who they could bring in to do a better job and not threaten Max. So, that’s another factor that is likely overblown.
How much extra wind and CFR time does being second in the WCC versus first gain a team? I know the WCC isn’t very important to RBR, but I’m guessing they’d still like to have since it likely is a great reward and CV for team personnel back at the factory.
An Sionnach
29th July 2024, 22:36
Difficult to understand, but then there might be plenty of variables we cannot see. The same goes for the Piastri situation. Maybe there’s something in his contract that means McLaren can’t favour someone above him. It’s perhaps the reverse of what happened with Piquet in Williams. He brought in the Honda engine and was supposed to be number one, but it didn’t happen like that. What made it difficult was that Mansell also had a good chance at the title. Here, Piastri has little chance, whereas Lando would have a decent chance if the whole team would get behind him and Max continues to be in a noticeably inferior car.
Edvaldo
29th July 2024, 23:12
It doesn’t matter Mclaren getting behind Norris 100% for the championship if he can’t deliver.
He was talking about fighting Max for the win on saturday. Turns out the best he could do was fight Max for the position he started the race on. And he lost.
slowmo (@slowmo)
30th July 2024, 0:11
To be fair the 3 options they had available for this year all looked not much better to me. I’d have been tempted to give Lawson a go but clearly they’ve seen something in the sim data to persuade them to stick with the devil they know that at least brings money in.
On the one hand it might mean the WCC remains a title that can be challenged for this year.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
30th July 2024, 2:29
It’s absurd that Sainz is going to Williams in a sport like F1 while Alonso drives for Aston Martin.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 9:07
It’s absurd you’re comparing Sainz to Alonso let alone saying Alonso has a better seat than he deserves. But then again you’re always taking shots at him.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 14:00
Unless you meant that FA has to drive a crappy car too and I’m confusing with you w/another Michael (there are a number of Michael(s). My apologies if so.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
30th July 2024, 2:36
I think the sport needs a regulation for drivers that underperform by a certain margin (Perez’s level can be used as the cutoff) at the top 4 teams for 2 seasons automatically lose their seats within a top team regardless of the team’s desire to hold onto them.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
30th July 2024, 3:33
Why stop at drivers? Why not include engineers, mechanics, designers, HR staff, caterers,… even owners? Anyone who is under-performing gets canned. Or maybe just gets caned!
SteveP
30th July 2024, 18:29
I just knew someone would bring things round to Horner and the PA ;)
Sumedh
30th July 2024, 4:06
Very strange decision by Red Bull. Anyone from the outside knows that Tsunoda should be in the seat for rest of 2024 and Ricciardo and Lawson should be fighting it out in the junior team.
Internal politics is causing yet another mistake at Red Bull (first was losing Newey). Surprising that Horner and Red Bull have scored a self goal like this after 2023. Anyways, good for the sport.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
30th July 2024, 6:03
Yep. Anyone.
Well, anyone other than all those that have said otherwise in the comments here and possibly a similar percentage of other people with an opinion on the matter.
But otherwise, yes. Anyone.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 9:08
Anyone = himself and those who agree with him.
SteveP
30th July 2024, 18:32
Well, being fair it’s a small pool of possibles, one is not a face that Horner likes, and the other is a rookie.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
30th July 2024, 4:59
Paddock gossip is that Red Bull know exactly what Sergio is struggling with and that the belief having access to the data from RB is that Yuki & Daniel would likely both struggle with the same thing.
It’s apparently something the car is doing which Max can deal with but which isn’t giving Sergio the feel he wants and which is therefore sapping his confidence.
Additionally he’s apparently also been a spec or 2 behind what Max has for the past couple races.
An additional consideration was that given where the car is right now it’s better to stick with someone who knows it rather than putting someone else in who would not only need time to figure it out but again based off the data they have available from both teams would likely struggle with it just as much.
It’s also a decision looking ahead as they don’t want to throw someone in the car for part of this season and then have to look elsewhere for 2025 as thats an unnecessary extra bit of distraction as a time when they need some stability not just because of where the car is now but also because they are losing Adrian Newey.
Nick T.
30th July 2024, 9:10
That’d be a bizarre conclusion since, whether he is washed up not, DR always thrived on a similar setup to Max. So, I’d take that paddock gossip with a big grain of salt.
SteveP
30th July 2024, 18:33
So, Lawson is the man then?
Mahesh (@m47e57)
30th July 2024, 6:11
Send Perez to Audi. Put Daniel in the Red
Bull. I wanna see that petulant Max brought out again. I can already see it coming back now the results aren’t automatically coming to him.
Mayrton
30th July 2024, 7:53
Yeah, all the experts are wrong about Max. All of them. What do they know? Just because they were drivers, team bosses or team members it doesn’t mean they know anything about F1. We know far better.
Picasso 1.9D FTW (@picasso-19d-ftw)
30th July 2024, 7:19
Horner showing uncharacteristic generosity to his rivals here. Happy summer break, Zak, Toto and Fred!
Mayrton
30th July 2024, 7:51
He brings in funds, helps sell their product & merchandise in South America and RedBull don’t care a single moment about the WCC, since it doesn’t sell them a single can more. So whilst I personally would like to see yet someone else getting nowhere in that second seat, just for the sake of variety, why would they bother? They do not play the engine manufacturers game.
Cam
30th July 2024, 10:51
“Verstappen gave his backing to Perez following yesterday’s race.” Of course he did – he doesn’t want the competition.
I truly hope McLaren hunt them down for the constructors and make them sorely regret this decision.
Perhaps they didn’t want to get booed when they got to Mexico where, – let’s remember – Checo crashed out last year.
Carlos Slim has undoubtedly been on the phone. Performance clauses mean little when the financiers make their feeling known.
formevic (@formevic)
30th July 2024, 21:48
Perez good? ..”Money talks.. aha 🎶🎵.. money talks..aha 🎵🎶🎵..” ehm ehm .. Telcel-Carlos Slim..ehm ehm..
JackFlash67
31st July 2024, 9:20
You know… just because Horner said Perez will be driving for Red Bull after the Summer break, could be interpreted quite a few ways:
[1]. Perez drives the Red Bull F1 teams second car beside Max Verstappen (status quo).
[2]. Perez drives the Red Bull stable seat besides one of the VISA Cash App RB (still a Red Bull technically, and still transferable via Contract terms, as we have seen many times before)
[3]. Perez drives the Red Bull simulator as reserve driver (a team seat of sorts), for the rest of the Season while the second car is race driven by someone else.
There are possibly more permutations, but you get my point.
Ultimately, F1 leaders are like Politicians in answering direct questions. They always answer in adequate ambiguity and therefore provide themselves “plausible outs” in any future reviews of their release-statements. Watch out for [2] or [3] from left field.
I have an opinion
31st July 2024, 11:17
Story coming from the Verstappens’ mouthpiece is that they were told Perez was going to be dropped. The speculation is that Red Bull were persuaded not to drop Perez by Disney (which has a Perez special coming out today) and Liberty (upcoming Mexican GP).
Janith
2nd August 2024, 9:59
I am no fan of Perez at Red Bull. I think he should have been replaced couple of years ago at the end of 2022 but I’m absolutely against dropping a driver mid-season. Especially coming from not the team but from the F1 circus.