Sergio Perez, the driver for Oracle Red Bull, recently renewed his contract with the team for two more years. However, the past six rounds haven’t been his best, with a highest of seventh place, two DNFs, and 17th place at his most recent race.
When Christian Horner, the team principal, was asked about this, he commented:
“Checo, of course he’s under pressure—that’s normal in Formula 1—but when you’re underdelivering, that pressure only mounts, and he’s aware of that. He knows that. This weekend, nothing’s really gone his way.”
Sergio Perez’s comments on the mid-year axe rumours
Sergio Perez confesses to feeling worn out by the new challenges presented to him regularly at Red Bull. With fresh rumours floating around his mid-year layoff, he made a few comments:
“At the end of the day, the noise, I think, is obviously a lot bigger when you are at Red Bull. But I think it’s the beauty of the challenge.”
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When asked about why he chose to stay with the Milton Keynes team, he commented:
“It’s why I decided to sign and extend my contract with the team because I love the challenge… It’s really hard, but it takes absolutely everything out of you, and this is why I want to continue.”
What are the exit clauses for Sergio Perez?
Amid rumors of a mid-year axing if he underperforms in the next two races, Perez denied the speculations and noted that drivers from Red Bull’s sister team, Visa Cash RB, are eager to replace him. He addressed the rumours of Yuki Tsunoda or Daniel Ricciardo replacing him after the summer break. Furthermore, he acknowledged that Red Bull brought in Liam Lawson, the Visa Cash App RB Reserve Driver, for recent tests.
Addressing the exit clause rumours, Perez emphasised that he will continue racing for Red Bull in 2025. He also clarified his earlier statement about the significance of the next two races, explaining that they were crucial not for his future but for his summer break.
“Obviously, I can’t talk about my contract; what I said [after Silverstone] is that the next two races are important for me. I want to go on holiday with a good spirit, and I think it’s good for my side of the garage to go with a good spirit.”
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Checo ended by saying:
“I wasn’t talking about anything else. I’m fully focused on delivering. I will be here and here again next year, and that’s nothing different. I’m just fully committed to myself.”
So according to Sergio Perez, his leaving Red Bull after the next two races is unlikely, but he still cannot talk about his contract explicitly. So, his best hope is to score as many points as possible in the next two races to improve Red Bull’s position in the Constructors’ Championship and increase the gap between them and Ferrari.
Rohit Kumar