Sergio Perez’s difficult 2024 season continued at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he was eliminated in Q1 for the sixth time this year. Despite the setback, he managed to finish the race in 10th place, earning a single point. The weekend also saw his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen secure the Drivers’ Championship with two races to spare.
While Perez’s underperformance has heavily impacted Red Bull’s chances of clinching the Constructors’ title, he still holds a contract until 2026. Perez has expressed confidence in returning alongside Verstappen next season. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has indicated that discussions regarding Perez’s future will take place after the season, with no guarantees for his spot, especially given his ongoing struggles.
Sergio Perez Might Be Replaced In 2025
Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko revealed that a meeting after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will decide the future of the team’s driver lineup for next year. This decision will be presented to the shareholders, who will then determine the situation for both Red Bull teams. Marko acknowledged that Sergio Perez’s performance, with over 200 points fewer than Max Verstappen, has put Red Bull out of contention for the Constructors’ Championship. He emphasized that if Perez were closer to the pace of drivers like Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, or competitors from Ferrari or McLaren, Red Bull would still be leading the constructors’ race.
Despite Verstappen securing his fourth Drivers’ Championship, the mood within Red Bull has been subdued due to their struggles in the Constructors’ standings. Marko pointed out the impact of Perez’s underperformance, noting that it affects both the team’s standings and the employees’ bonuses. Team principal Christian Horner also expressed disappointment with Perez’s performance in Las Vegas, where he finished 16th in qualifying and earned only one point in the race.
Sergio Perez Feels He Could Still Bounce Back After The Las Vegas GP
Sergio Perez reflected on his disappointing 10th-place finish, acknowledging that the team understood what went wrong and that progress was being made. He emphasized that while the pace is improving, they fell short during qualifying and were determined to work hard in the final two races to recover. Perez noted that the low-grip track and cooler temperatures played a key role in his difficulties, as they prevented him from getting his tyres into the right operating window during qualifying. This led to his sixth Q1 elimination of the season.
During the 50-lap race, Perez faced further challenges with tyre degradation. Starting on hard tyres, he struggled with a 20-lap stint on mediums, which was harder on the tyres than expected. A second pit stop dropped him to 15th place, but he fought his way back to secure a single point by finishing 10th. Perez acknowledged that the team had used the wrong tyres at the wrong time, which caused the strategy to fall out of sync and affected his race performance.
