On the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull announced a two-year contract extension for Sergio Perez, meaning that the Mexican will be team-mate to Max Verstappen (who is under contract until 2028) for the next two seasons.
Perez moved from Racing Point to Red Bull for the 2021 season, where he helped Verstappen in his quest for his first world title and was a big help, especially in Abu Dhabi. Perez himself wanted to challenge for the title at Red Bull, but was unable to achieve more than individual success. While Verstappen has gone from victory to victory and title to title in the three and a half years they have been together, setting several records along the way, Perez has ‘only’ won five Grand Prix.
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Perez ‘happy to stay’
“I am very happy to stay here to continue our journey together and to add two more years to the great history of this team,” said Perez. “Being part of this team is a great challenge that I love.”
“I want to thank everyone for the trust they have placed in me. It’s a lot and I want to repay it with excellent results on and off the track.”
He has yet to achieve a win this season. Although he has been on the podium four times in eight races, three second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan were the best he could manage. With 107 points, he is currently only fifth in the drivers’ standings and can basically forget about any hope of winning the world championship.
Red Bull’s decision on Perez made
Horner on Perez remaining with Red Bull
“The last few races have been tough,” says team boss Christian Horner.
“The field is getting tighter and tighter, but we have confidence in Checo and are looking forward to him returning to his proven form and performance that we see so often.”
Therefore, Red Bull sees no reason to replace the 34-year-old because he is fulfilling his role as number two behind Verstappen. The team is currently not convinced of all the possible replacement candidates.
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Daniel Ricciardo was actually considered a possible successor, who wanted to recommend himself for promotion to the A team via Racing Bulls, but the Australian was unable to fulfill the expectations placed on him and must hope that he does not lose his Formula 1 cockpit completely.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda is showing good performances in 2024, but will first have to demonstrate this consistently over a longer time before he would be considered for the Red Bull cockpit. Indeed the Japanese driver might well need to look elsewhere if he wishes to progress in F1.
Recently, there was also discussion about a transfer for Carlos Sainz, who has to leave Ferrari at the end of the season. However, a return of the former Red Bull junior has not materialized, so the racing team is sticking with its proven driver duo.
Horner: Continuity and stability important
“Now is an important time to confirm our line-up for 2025 and we are delighted to continue our relationship with Checo,” said Team Principal Horner.
“Continuity and stability are important for the team. Both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership that secured the team’s first ever championship double last year.”
It also provides Red Bull with continuity beyond the current regulations, as the driver pairing will remain stable when the new rules come into force in 2026.
Verstappen reacts to Perez contract
Max Verstappen has said that he is ‘delighted’ to be able to continue working with Mexican Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the next two seasons.
Speaking on the subject, the Dutch driver said he was delighted to have Sergio Perez by his side for another two years: “It’s great news that Checo [Perez] has re-signed with the team until 2026 and I’m pleased that we can continue the successful partnership we’ve built up over the last few years,’”said Verstappen.
“We had a record-breaking season last year and the team is very strong, so we’re looking forward to building on that success over the next two years.”
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Preparing Canada in the simulator
From a purely sporting point of view, Max Verstappen said he had spent time in the factory with his team after a ‘difficult’ Monaco Grand Prix in which the Dutchman finished sixth.
Over the last few days, the Red Bull driver has been working in the simulator to prepare as well as possible for the Canadian Grand Prix, on a Montreal track with old-fashioned vibrators that could once again give the RB20 a hard time, as it did in Monte Carlo a fortnight ago.
“After a difficult weekend in Monaco, I spent some time with the team at the factory this week and worked in the simulator to prepare for the Canadian Grand Prix,” continued the three-time world champion on the eve of the ninth round of the year.
“The circuit is very unique because it has old-style vibrators and there are plenty of opportunities for overtaking. It will be very important to set the car up well and find the right balance between top speed and good braking stability,
“After that, it’s always nice to race in Montreal. The environment is unique, the atmosphere in the city is great and the fans are very passionate.”
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen still leads the drivers’ championship by 31 points from Charles Leclerc.
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Good story and I am glad that checo got a contract to keep him at Red bull. He is a very good and great support for Max.
Perez sucks hard, he is only there to make up the numbers and offers no threat to take points from max.
Here’s hoping max loses the championship as he was gifted the first and Overspending helped the others.
Other teams are getting closer and will soon catch up and fight for the championship as it should be