After facing numerous challenges in the second Red Bull car over the years, Sergio Perez has officially parted ways with the successful racing team. He has consistently been the least impressive driver among those competing for race wins.
The car developed by Red Bull can achieve top-five finishes and podiums, provided the driver can fully utilize its potential. Although Perez has tried to project confidence by stating he has a contract for next year, his performance tells a different story.
Charles Leclerc often claims he achieves the “maximum” result given the quality of his machinery when reflecting on his performances in post-qualifying and post-race interviews.
However, in his last two years at Red Bull, Perez has rarely made the same claim, frequently attributing his disappointing results to factors beyond his control.
The reality is that Red Bull needs a driver who can extract more from the car. While Max Verstappen is unmatched in maximizing the car’s capabilities, several other drivers could likely perform better than Perez.
The Mexican driver has struggled to fit in at the top for some time, and aside from his intense defensive driving, he has contributed little to Red Bull beyond generating substantial sponsorship revenue.
“I’ve mentioned that we’ll be discussing the situation in the coming days,” Perez told the media in Abu Dhabi. “We’ll explore both sides and see if we can reach an agreement. If not, I still have a contract for next year.”
It appears that Red Bull is ready to give a young driver a chance, a move they haven’t always made, suggesting that Perez’s time with the team is numbered.
The team is reportedly prepared to pay millions to part ways with him, and while this may sting financially in the short term, it could lead to significant earnings from the Constructors’ Championship.
Verstappen has been carrying the team in the championship race, even when the car has often been the second, third, or fourth fastest on the grid this season.
While Perez’s struggles may stem partly from the limitations of the RB-20, his own driving has also contributed to his mediocre results.
“You can see how critical it is to have two drivers regularly scoring points in the Constructors’ Championship,” he pointed out. “Ferrari will have a strong lineup next year, and McLaren looks solid as well. Mercedes will have an inexperienced driver in one of their seats, but for us, it’s vital that both our drivers perform consistently to avoid any gaps.”
Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren boast far more competitive driver lineups, highlighting the need for an improvement on Red Bull’s part.
While Perez’s replacement has not yet been officially named, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson seem to be the frontrunners for the seat.
Christian Horner and the Red Bull team have hesitated to promote Tsunoda due to concerns about his attitude, seemingly only reconsidering after he out-qualified Lawson in the last six races.
Given his speed and impressive overtaking abilities, they view Tsunoda as a benchmark for young talent in their junior program rather than a senior team driver.
Horner and Helmut Marko have often criticized Tsuondoa for being immature and hotheaded, citing this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix as evidence of immaturity. Yuki drove past Ricciardo on the cool-down lap of the race after being upset that he was ordered to let Daniel by.
Yuki has-handedly beaten several teammates in race pace and qualifying, typically checking off everything Red Bull would want in a young driver.
However, all signs suggest that Red Bull is leaning toward Lawson for the seat, citing his mental strength and remarkable pace for someone with just a handful of races under his belt.
What Red Bull values is clear: they want a driver who can handle the pressure of being partnered with Max Verstappen, the team’s clear #1 driver, and will be prioritized at every step. The Dutch will be ruthless towards his teammate and prefers a car that oversteers more than it understands.
The team needs a driver who is okay with Max’s preferential treatment and will not fight him too harshly while not crashing the car and delivering at least a solid points haul every race weekend.
All signs point to Lawson being their guy, and he has shown enough promise to warrant a look.
Ultimately, Red Bull’s decision shows how far off Perez is from his form. It was only in early 2023 when he looked like a potential title contender when he went on his best run of form while at Red Bull, but since then, it has been a sharp decline.
Abu Dhabi 2024 might have been the last race of their career; he faces the latter years of his prime, and it currently looks unlikely that a team will take a punt on him. He was terrific at street tracks and did amazing things at Racing Point and Red Bull, but trends dictate his best days are behind him.
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