Max Verstappen, the winner of the Sprint race, and his teammate Sergio Perez, from Red Bull Racing, were seen together in the parc ferme after the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, China, on April 20, 2024. This race was part of the Formula 1 World Championship, which took place on Qualifying Day.
Ralf Schumacher recently suggested that Max Verstappen’s salary and Sergio Perez’s sponsorship agreements played a role in Red Bull’s decision to extend Perez’s contract. Despite a good start to the 2024 season, Perez has struggled in the last two races, failing to advance to Q3 and only earning four points. However, Red Bull announced that Perez has signed a new two-year contract extension, ensuring that he will continue to race alongside Verstappen until the end of the 2026 season. Verstappen’s championship aspirations are not threatened by Perez, and their harmonious relationship is believed to be one of the reasons for his retention.
Schumacher mentioned that Verstappen’s estimated salary of $70 million was a factor taken into consideration by Red Bull when considering Perez’s future with the team. Perez’s commercial agreements with Mexican brands Claro, Telcel, Disney, KitKat, and Nescafe also contribute additional funds to Red Bull. These financial considerations are important for Red Bull, as their title ambitions have been challenged by both Ferrari and McLaren this season. The gap in the Constructors’ Championship has narrowed to 24 points after Ferrari’s success in Monaco and Red Bull’s difficulties.
A pesar de las dificultades recientes de Pérez, el jefe del equipo de Red Bull, Christian Horner, enfatizó la importancia de que ambos pilotos se presenten en su mejor forma. Reconoció la amenaza que representan Ferrari y McLaren en ambos campeonatos y subrayó la necesidad de que ambos coches puntúen de manera consistente. Horner abordó el decepcionante rendimiento de Pérez en Mónaco, diciendo que el fin de semana había sido difícil para él. Sin embargo, descartó la idea de que estas dificultades afectarían el proceso de toma de decisiones de Red Bull con respecto al segundo asiento junto a Verstappen. Horner afirmó que el equipo tomaría una decisión en el momento adecuado, sin verse afectado por los acontecimientos recientes.
