Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Sergio Perez is “old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions” regarding his future with the team.
The Mexican driver, who spun out of last Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix after enduring another troubled weekend, has faced a season of mounting challenges and underperformance, and appears to be nearing the end of his Red Bull tenure.
Elaborating extensively on his driver's case, Horner hinted that his team is focused on a difficult but necessary decision.
“Checo has had a very tough year, and obviously, the points, the tables are what they are,” Horner said in an interview with Viaplay.
“We're very much focused on really supporting him to the checked flag in Abu Dhabi. It's not an enjoyable situation for Checo being in this position with speculation every week.
“He's old enough and wise enough to know what the situation is, and let's see where we are after Abu Dhabi.”
Perez's season has been marked by inconsistency, highlighted most recently by his calamitous weekend in Qatar.
The Mexican driver's woes included a failure to advance in qualifying, missing the pitlane green light during the sprint race, and ultimately spinning behind the safety car during the grand prix, which led to his car overheating and retiring.
Detailing the specific technical issue that ended Perez's race, Horner explained: “We're just investigating the exact failure, but it looks like, obviously he's spun the car, and as he dropped the clutch, the clutch had too much temperature go through it .”
Despite the challenging year, Horner acknowledged Perez's contributions during his four-year stint with the team, including critical support in securing drivers' and constructors' championships.
“Checo's contributed a huge amount to this team in the four years that he's been here,” he said.
“The world championship that Max achieved in '21, the constructors' world championships in '22 and '23, and obviously this year has been particularly hard.
He's won five Grand Prix for us and had some outstanding performances in races like Singapore, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, to name a few.
“So everyone holds Checo in the highest of regard and respect. But obviously, the situation that we're in is as painful for him as it is for the team.”
However, with Perez finishing only eighth in the drivers' standings while his teammate Max Verstappen stormed to his fourth championship, the disparity left Red Bull vulnerable to challenges from Ferrari and McLaren in F1's Constructors' Championship.
The team's inability to maintain a significant points buffer over its rivals has reportedly pushed Red Bull shareholders to consider significant changes by 2025.
Helmut Marko confirmed that a pivotal meeting involving key stakeholders will take place immediately after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“There is a meeting Monday after Abu Dhabi,” Marko said. “All the best people are there, all of the shareholders, and there a decision will be made.”
The decision is expected to determine Perez's fate, with sources indicating that Red Bull may invoke break clauses in his contract to end the partnership a year early.
Marko also hinted that Red Bull's next driver will most likely come once again from within its development pipeline.
“We always – or most of the time – brought our own drivers through the Red Bull programme, and I think it's a philosophical decision: do we stick to that? And what I got from the shareholders is it will be in this direction.”
Liam Lawson, who impressed during limited opportunities in 2024, is seen as the leading candidate to replace Perez. However, Yuki Tsunoda could bolster his chances with a strong performance in a Red Bull test scheduled for the Tuesday following the Abu Dhabi race.
As speculation intensifies, the focus remains on Perez to deliver a strong finale in Abu Dhabi, knowing that his future likely hinges on the decisions made in the days immediately following the race.
While his tenure has seen highs, including multiple wins and vital contributions to Red Bull's recent championships, his current struggles underscore the team's unrelenting demand for excellence.
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