Red Bull director Helmut Marko has dismissed links to two drivers as Sergio Perez prepares for what is expected to be his last season with the team. Perez, 34, is in the fourth and final year of his contract with the current Constructors’ champions, and is yet to be offered an extension.
The Mexican finished second in the drivers’ standings last season, but finished a mammoth 290 points behind teammate Max Verstappen. That was despite Perez winning two of the opening four Grand Prix races, and declaring his intentions to make the Championship race a two-way battle.
But he failed to take the chequered flag in any of the 18 events that followed, with only a Carlos Sainz victory in Singapore preventing Red Bull from claiming a win in every single race. And it’s the Spaniard who has been widely touted as a replacement for Perez in 2025, when he’ll vacate his own seat at Ferrari for the incoming Lewis Hamilton.
However, according to Marko, who also oversees the Red Bull Driver Development programme, team bosses will take their time to weigh-up their final decision, a notion which could scupper a potential move for the 29-year-old: “Sainz probably wants to make a decision sooner than we do,” he told Motorsport-Total.
Alex Albon has also been linked with a return, having driven alongside Verstappen in 2019 and 2020. Marko was also dismissive about the British driver though, citing his situation at Williams: “Albon is not an issue for us, he has a contract until 2025,” added the 80-year-old.
The Austrian also refused to completely rule out a new deal for Perez. But much will depend on how he performs in 2024, with Marko implying that he needed to consistently compete all season long to keep his position.
“He still has a contract for 2024. It’s up to him,” he said. “If he drives in a similar form to how he completed the last races, then we can easily talk about a further extension.”
However, after a public spat between Perez and Verstappen in 2022, when the Dutchman refused team orders to give up a place to his partner at the Brazilian Grand Prix, tensions have been rife in the Red Bull garage. Further animosity was apparent at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, with Verstappen’s dad Jos blanking Perez as he celebrated his race win.
Perez debuted in F1 with Sauber in 2011, and also represented McLaren, Force India, and racing Point before joining Red Bull. He finished fourth and the third in his first two years with the team, before last season signified his best career campaign.
