Marko: Driver has ‘multiple contract options’. The summer break may still be some time away, but the silly season of Formula One rumours is already in full swing. No wonder, with plenty of seats still up for grabs in 2025 and many contracts yet to be renewed. The same goes for Red Bull Racing and its sister team, the Racing Bulls. Among those in focus: Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda.
At the end of last year, and again at the start of this season, it was widely assumed that Red Bull Racing would have a new driver line-up from 2025. Sergio Perez had not lived up to expectations in 2023, scoring less than half the points of Max Verstappen in the dominant Red Bull car.
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Perez struggles of 2023 concerned Red Bull
Sergio Perez’s problems in 2023 were many and varied. One of the main issues was adapting to the RB19, a car that seemed perfectly suited to Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, but presented challenges for Perez. The car’s handling characteristics, particularly its responsiveness and balance, seemed to favour Verstappen, making it difficult for Perez to extract the same level of performance.
Throughout the 2023 season, Perez’s inconsistency was evident. While Verstappen consistently qualified on the front row and won races with seeming ease, Perez often found himself in the middle of the pack, struggling to match his teammate’s pace. This disparity was not confined to qualifying, but extended to race day, where Verstappen’s superior driving and tyre management skills gave him a significant advantage.
Perez’s struggle was exacerbated by some unfortunate incidents and reliability issues, which only widened the gap between the two drivers.
The mental pressure of competing against a teammate of Verstappen’s calibre also played a role. The constant comparison and internal team dynamics took a toll on Perez, affecting his confidence and performance. By the end of the 2023 season, the statistics painted a stark picture: Verstappen had secured the championship with ease, while Perez’s results were inconsistent and below expectations.
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The turnaround in 2024
However, Perez has shown great improvement for the 2024 season so far, so it is likely that there will be a turnaround internally, with the Austrian outfit looking to continue with the Mexican next year.
Sergio Perez made a concerted effort to address the challenges he had faced the previous year. Over the winter break, Perez worked closely with his engineers to better understand the car and adapt his driving style to its characteristics. This period of reflection and adjustment paid off as Perez began the new season with renewed determination and focus.
One of the key factors in Perez’s resurgence has been his ability to improve his qualifying performances. By starting higher up the grid, Perez was able to avoid mid-pack battles and potential incidents, allowing him to effectively capitalise on race strategy. His experience and racing skills shone through as he secured several podium finishes and contributed valuable points to the team’s championship campaign.
Perez’s role as Verstappen’s support driver also became more defined in 2024. Recognising the importance of team dynamics, Red Bull Racing focused on utilising Perez’s strengths to benefit the team’s overall strategy. This included orchestrating race strategies where Perez could play a pivotal role in protecting Verstappen’s position or disrupting the strategies of rival teams. Perez’s willingness to embrace this role, coupled with his improved performances, helped strengthen the team’s position in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
It also improved the team’s internal harmony. Perez’s relationship with Verstappen became more collaborative, with both drivers working towards common goals rather than competing against each other. This camaraderie not only boosted team morale but also contributed to a more positive working environment, allowing both drivers to perform at their best.
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Red Bull look to resign Perez
These changes have spurred Red Bull on to resign the Mexican for next year.
“Talks are ongoing and ‘Checo’ is still our first option,” Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was quoted as saying by the Kleine Zeitung newspaper. Marko also set a deadline for a decision.
“We want to have clarity before the summer break,” he said, adding: “Although we are certainly not putting ourselves under pressure.”
Including this weekend’s Monaco GP, there are seven races to go before the summer break so plenty of time for things to change. Yuki Tsunoda of sister team Racing Bulls will be hoping for just such a turnaround.
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What’s next for Tsunoda?
The Japanese driver, who clearly dominates his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, has always dreamed of moving up to Red Bull Racing.
However, with the team likely to continue to rely on Pérez, there have been rumours of his departure from the RB cosmos.
Helmut Marko, however, doesn’t want to hear anything of the sort. “Of course he is part of the discussions,” says the Red Bull advisor, who holds the Japanese in high regard.
According to Marko, it is unlikely that Tsunoda will leave at the end of the season.
“In general, we have several options in his contract to keep him for several years,” revealed the 81-year-old. However, it is unclear whether Tsunoda would want to do so without the prospect of driving for the world champions.
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The father of the current Formula One champion, Jos Verstappen, is once again making waves as he was pictured arriving in Monaco late yesterday. The journeyman F1 driver is the second most successful Dutch competitor the sport has seen, only outranked by his son. Jos competed in 107 Grand Prix, achieved two podiums as his best results, and racked up a total of 17 championship points (117 in the modern system) with a highest finishing slot of 6th at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.
Jos is the second most successful Dutch driver in F1, out ranked only by his son, but his biggest claim to fame came at the 1994 German Grand Prix when during a pit stop a refuelling rig fault caused a leak with the result his car was engulfed in flames for several seconds. As is the case with F1 drivers, Jos had opened his visor for some…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
