Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted they could change their driver line-up before the 2025 Formula 1 season starts.
Max Verstappen could clinch the drivers’ championship for the fourth year in a row this weekend. However Sergio Perez has under-performed for much of the season in the team’s second car, leaving Red Bull only third in the constructors’ championship.Perez has scored just eight points over the last five rounds. Horner said the team need him to contribute more in their effort to overhaul McLaren and Ferrari.
“Sergio is our driver and we want to do the very best to get the most out of him,” Horner told the official F1 channel. “He’s had a really tough run of form over recent weeks and months.
“From a constructors’ point of view, we desperately need both cars right up there working as a pair, which we haven’t had. So obviously, hopefully Checo can get some strong performances in these last three races.
“But there’s no way we’re going to be able to win the constructors championship without that.”
Red Bull placed Liam Lawson at their second team, RB, three races ago. They also have other drivers under contract including Lawson’s team mate Yuki Tsunoda as well as leading junior drivers Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar.
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The team extended Perez’s contract in June and he has insisted “I, 100%, will be here next year.” But Horner said the teams’ contracts with their roster of drivers gives them options to make a change for 2025.
“All the drivers that we have under contract, we’re very clear on what their contractual situations are,” he said. “We could, if we so chose, leave it all the way up until Melbourne next year [the opening round] if we want to because we have drivers under contract.
“But inevitably at the end of the year, we’ll sit down and look at all the information that’s available to us.”
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Ankita
22nd November 2024, 9:16
Please send PER to RB. Unless things have changed compared to up to 2021, PER proved to be the best mid-field driver. Unfortunately he did not show the skill to be in a top team. So, send him to RB, and use the RBR seat for another driver.
A note of caution, though. I don’t see any other driver suitable for that second RBR car. I must be someone sufficiently quick to be close to Max, but not sufficiently ambitious to beat him. And I just don’t see anyone like that. Perhaps a very young talented driver on whom RBR is willing to spend one or two years developing while being told that his target is to get ready for when VER leaves …
notagrumpyfan
22nd November 2024, 9:47
Why?
I’ve never heard Verstappen say that.
And RBR has proven to swap first driver allegiance on a whim when the next potential star joins the main team.
Of course they will support their number 1 driver to secure the WDC. But all teams do that when they have a chance.
SoLiDG (@solidg)
22nd November 2024, 10:38
Don’t write off Riciardo for one year.
Horner loves him and his drivibg style suits the redbull .. and he would be better than Perez. And the juniors can develop another crucial year.
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd November 2024, 11:05
Ankita He’s specifically contracted to Red Bull Racing, just like Max as well as Seb, Webber, Ricciardo, etc., in the past, which has been very clear even from the outside, & only either Hadjar or Iwasa (more likely the former) would be driving in the B-team next year, if anyone, in any case.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
22nd November 2024, 11:08
Unless they are contractually obliged to, I don’t see any value in putting Perez in the RB. That is supposed to be the junior team for developing new talent, and they are never going to re-promote Perez back to Redbull after that. Perez also likely wouldn’t be very motivated and I would put my money on most decent young talents to perform better than him after a short while. They would have more to fight for, while Perez would just be collecting a few more paychecks before retirement. If they are going to replace Perez, they should retire him and assess some other drivers in their driver program instead, though ofc, sponsors and contracts may have an influence.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
22nd November 2024, 13:40
There’s no one who can realistically beat verstappen, there’s no danger, so just get a proper driver.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
22nd November 2024, 23:32
Perez had an ok season in 2021, pretty poor season in 2022 and basically abysmal these later two years. He doesn’t deserve to stay in F1 after 3 poor seasons at the age he’s at now. Bottas has been far better than him recently and he’s out of a drive.
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
22nd November 2024, 10:38
Well he keeps being saved by Tsunoda being decent but not remarkable, and Ricciardo being too slow, and Lawson lacking the experience (and is not yet beating Tsunoda). Colapinto has had a few poorer races too after his brilliant start. Who could realistically drive that car in 2025? They are not going to be able to steal someone like Piastri heading into 2025.
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd November 2024, 11:06
@chrischrill Lawson has been mostly out-performing Tsunoda, but his lack of experience is indeed a risky, although less risky than Antonelli in comparison, given he’ll have 11 GPs by the next season opener & Antonelli 0.
PacificPR (@streydt)
22nd November 2024, 11:09
Sainz.
Doh
22nd November 2024, 12:29
I wanted to see sainz alongside max too but seems a bit late for that. Also seems like redbull don’t want the potential issues that may cause. I’d say give Riccardo or tsunoda a chance and if they don’t perform then unfortunately drop Daniel entirely and demoted tsunoda. With Lawson and colapinto in the 3rd and 4th cars
Hal
22nd November 2024, 14:14
There is a moment when you need to take a decision, select an option and give it a real shot. I mean, there are always uncertainties, you never know for sure.
But the fact is that Sergio has been massively underperforming for 2 years, seems mentally in disarray and is not getting younger. As for Max, there is no certainties he will not drop RB at some point in the coming 2 years…
They have to try out one of the new guys and prep the future. Cannot really get worse than with Perez anyway. I think both Lawson and Colapinto have showed they deserves a shot, they both showed what they needed to show in a small team ; just promote one of them and try your best to make it work (I mean, not another 5 GP promotion, just to see). If it does not work, you’ll have the other one or Isaac in 2026…. Until you have your next Vettel or Max…
So my bet is on Colapinto because part of Sergio’s sponsor will support him. Unless Williams is asking too much, and then it will be Lawson and Isaac in the VisaCab
Paul (@frankjaeger)
22nd November 2024, 11:50
Hahaha you cannot trust a word Horner says. A month ago he said he was 100% on the grid for Red Bull 2025. Hopefully Sainz gets released from Williams
SteveP
22nd November 2024, 12:50
True, but Horner didn’t specify what team that would be with – they have two.
As you will note, Horner has also said that under the contract terms they are free to place their drivers in any seat
Nothing is certain until you see Perez climb into A RBR, or RB2 car for a race.
Have fun, 2025 will give you clues, but still no certainty
Unexpected_move
22nd November 2024, 12:08
Here we go. Oh wait! According to some commentators I know nothing and I just happen to be a lucky person who makes random guesses so please disregard my comment. Thanks.
SteveP
22nd November 2024, 12:54
If you were saying anything fits with what I posted above, then you might be right, or not.
notagrumpyfan
22nd November 2024, 14:46
That’s not what they said! They merely asked you to back up with some proof your claim that you have insider knowledge.
Seems fair to me, just as fair that other sideline observers should not be too factual with their claims (when merely based on their beliefs).
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd November 2024, 18:31
Unexpected_move – You again.
notagrumpyfan – Indeed fair, although I never intend to base my claims merely on beliefs but rather what’s realistic, which is different & something people shouldn’t get wrong constantly.
PeteB (@peteb)
22nd November 2024, 16:41
Disregarded as requested.
Simon
22nd November 2024, 21:58
@Unexpected_move
Nope, not you but your comment fits like a glove for our own resident occy (clue = has responded to your post)
Maciek (@maciek)
22nd November 2024, 13:14
I was already shocked that they retained him over the summer, I’ll be utterly stunned if he’s in that seat next year.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
22nd November 2024, 13:33
At last a reality check to put perez in his place! If there’s a thing I like less than his performance is his “I’m safe, no matter how bad I perform” attitude!
PeteB (@peteb)
22nd November 2024, 16:47
I think it would be a good thing for Perez to go to the junior team to be honest. He clearly can’t handle the pressure of being in a car that is expected to finish on the podium but he’s historically been very good at getting midfield cars to finish higher than they should do.
If he has a year at RB and performs well, he’s got a shot at finding another seat elsewhere. If he remains at Red Bull for next year, I think it’ll be a repeat of the last few years and his F1 career will be over.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
22nd November 2024, 17:23
Yes, no doubt perez had a good career, until 2022 really, even in 2021 at red bull he wasn’t that bad, but not exactly at bottas’ level, who is currently leaving f1 (which I don’t like).
SPArtacus
22nd November 2024, 18:08
He shouldn’t be on the grid period. He has quite literally performed worse than any other driver on the grid this season. If Ricciardo deserved to go, Perez triply deserves to go. Both Yuki and DR were frequently out qualifying SP in a hopeless car. Other than Zhou, no one deserves to be on the grid less than Perez and I’m not sure even Zhou couldn’t do better in the RBR than Zhou.
Jere (@jerejj)
22nd November 2024, 18:32
@peteb Zero good, let alone usefulness in his career situation, especially given he wouldn’t receive another chance anymore.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
22nd November 2024, 18:24
Sergio has a contract with Red Bull Racing saying he is the one who will drive alongside Max. If Christian wants to break that contract then he will have to buy out Sergio, just like if Sergio wants to break the contract then he would have to pay Red Bull Racing. I guess it comes down to what is the cost of buying Sergio out of his contract, which is presumably expensive. On the basis the replacement driver is a current and top F1 driver, then the expense of this will be the cost of buying the replacement driver out of their current contract, which again will be expensive. After those expenses, Christian would still be left with wondering whether or not Max is simply a unique driver in an average car, and Sergio’s performance is about as good as you can expect from the RB20.