SHANGHAI, CHINA – APRIL 18: Sergio Perez of Mexico, and Oracle Red Bull Racing, and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, and Oracle Red Bull Racing, watch in the Paddock during previews of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 18, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
This comes after reports that the championship team was in discussions with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. While three-time Formula 1 world champion Verstappen has a long-term deal with Red Bull until the end of 2028, Perez’s contract with the team is set to expire at the end of this year.
During a press conference in Shanghai on Thursday, Perez expressed his hope to be able to reveal his plans for the next season in the coming weeks. This raised questions from managers in the Friday press conference about whether this meant he would be leaving the Red Bull team.
According to Red Bull’s sports consultant Helmut Marko, the energy drink brand was in negotiations with Sainz about a possible seat. However, Audi presented him with an offer that the Thai-Austrian company could not match.
Marko stated, “If Perez continues to perform at this level, he is undoubtedly the best choice for Red Bull in 2025. He is a dedicated team player and has now realized that the drastic setup changes he made last year were misguided. The car is closer to Max’s setup now, and that has been beneficial for him.”
Anticipating the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, Red Bull team principal Horner addressed the Formula 1 team managers’ press conference. He stated: “As a team, we are not in a rush. We are fortunate to be in a position where many drivers would love to race with us. We are happy with the current duo and just want to ensure that Checo maintains the level of consistency he showed at the beginning of this season,” echoing Marko’s sentiments.
In previous seasons, Perez often struggled to extract the same level of performance from the Red Bull car as his teammate Verstappen, who won 19 out of 22 races last season. However, he currently sits in second place in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship standings, trailing his teammate by 13 points but leading Sainz by nine points. Sainz missed out on scoring points in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis.
On Friday, Horner remarked: “It is natural for there to be significant interest surrounding Sainz, and I believe Audi would be unwise not to consider a driver of his caliber.” (Reporting by Joe Cash)
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