Last Updated on September 19 2024, 2:40 am

Red Bull Racing find themselves in a fix, The Formula One world champions won seven of the first ten races this year but for the last seven outings since Barcelona, the top step of the podium has proven elusive.

Max Verstappen has claimed two 2nd places in that time but the real star of the F1 show has been Oscar Piastri who has outscored every other driver in that time and winning two Grand Prix into the bargain.

The RB20 which seemed as though it would dominate in similar fashion to its predecessor last year has fallen off a cliff. The team have taken a development direction which has just not worked and such is Max Verstappen’s disillusionment with the equipment he is being given, Sergio Perez was the better driver across the entire weekend last time out in Azerbaijan.

 

 

 

Perez given four race grace period

Of course Sergio ruined all his good work when he made an avoidable collision with Carlos Sainz beginning the penultimate lap of the race. Of course Checo was entitles to maintain his line out of turn two in Baku but the result was declared a “racing incident” by the stewards.

Perez was expected by most paddock observers to be replaced after the summer break, but Christian Horner maintained his favourite circuits were up next, so the axe was withheld. Yet Sergio has scored just fourteen points since the autumn F1 resumption and his loss of big points in Baku has seen McLaren take as healthy lead in there constructors championship.

So reason would suggest that having been given four races to save his seat at Red Bull for the remainder of the season, Perez needs a good result in this weeks Singapore Grand Prix otherwise Horners criteria for retaining the Mexican born driver becomes moot.

Were Perez to be dismissed from the team it was widely expected Daniel Ricciardo would take his place with Liam Lawson filling in alongside Yuki Tsunoda at V-CARB. The likeable Aussie has finished ahead of his Japanese team mate in each of the last four races and could yet be a viable option were Checo to be benched by Red Bull.

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Dr. Marko pushing Liam Lawson

However, Ricciardo faces his own predicament having been expected to beat his team mate regularly when he was confirmed as V-CARBS full time driver this season. The problem is Yuki is two places ahead of Daniel in the drivers’ title and has scored 22 of the team’s 34 points this season to date.

Add into the mix that Verstappen, peers and Tsunoda all have at least another season’s contract with the Red Bull organisation, while Ricciardo has been left biting his fingernails to see if he too will make the cut.

Dr. Helmut Marko has been talking up the abilities of Liam Lawson this year and he confirmed a decision over V-CARBS remaining seat for 2025 will be announced at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz confirmed in Baku. “Helmut Marko says it will be after Singapore – we have been waiting to hear who will be Yuki Tsunoda’s partner at RB next year,” he said.

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Marko says Red Bull announcement after Singapore

“Marko is teasing that it’s now after Singapore that we will hear whether it’s going to be Ricciardo or Lawson. We think it’s going to be Liam Lawson.”

Sky F1’s lead commentator David Croft also speculates that Ricciardo having finished in the points just once in the last seven races is heading for the chop. “It’s the ultimate hero or zero for him – he either replaces Sergio Perez or he doesn’t drive in Formula One,” Croft told Wide World of Sports. “You can’t get a more hero or zero than that.

“I don’t think it helped that RB had such a stinker at the weekend [in Baku]. It wasn’t a great race for them. I feel really sorry for Daniel. He is a tremendous talent who has excited and delighted us all for many years in Formula One.”

Yet sacking Daniel Ricciardo doers not solve red Bull’s main problem. Sergio Perez is the lowest placed driver amongst the top four teams and has failed to contribute in line with Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren’s drivers who are running behind their team mates. And if Perez fails to score significant points in Singapore – Horners rationale for retaining him is blown out the window.

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Perez more at risk than Ricciardo

In the instance Checo has another P6, 7 or 8, Red Bull must make a decision on whether retaining Perez is going to continue to hurt them. This leaves the door open to Ricciardo, who could be given six race weekends to save his F1 career and bolster Red Bull’s hopes of retaining their constructors’ championship.

The net cost to Red Bull of binning Checo but winning the constructors’ title has been calculated at around $5m. Yet the team from Milton Keynes makes a significant profit each year and the loss of this revenue roughly equals the amount of crash damage cost Sergio has racked up this season.

Croft reflects: “But he [Ricciardo] made the wrong choice. He should never have left Red Bullin the first place. Red Bull are keen to promote Liam Lawson. They don’t want to leave him on the sidelines any longer than they have to and Tsunoda is doing well enough to get another drive.”

And so the Red Bull big driver announcement hangs in the balance. It could be that should Perez performa well as he did most of the weekend in Azerbaijan, its Ricciardo who takes the fall. Yet another sub-par performance from the Mexican and if there were even more crash damage cost for the team, TJ13 has been informed Red Bull WILL announce Ricciardo as Sergio’s immediate replacement giving the Australian driver one last chance at reviving his Formula One career.

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Astonishing value of crash bill for Perez in 2024

With just two laps remaining of the 2024 Formula One Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, Sergio Perez missed a rare opportunity to finish ahead of his team mate this season by crashing into Carlos Sainz. 

At one point in the race Checo was favourite to take the win following his first pit stop, yet Lando Norris who had yet to stop delayed the Red Bull driver for a couple of Laos, allowing his team mate to emerge ahead of the Red Bull.

“Other than that he [Checo] would have won the race,” observed Christian Horner when speaking to Sky F1 after the chequered flag… READ MORE