Red Bull Racing stunned the F1 fraternity when they announced a two-year extension for Sergio Perez last month. Perez has been tipped as the most underserving driver hogging the RB seat since he finished 200 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen in the 2023 season.
While his performance marginally improved initially this year, Sergio Perez began to show signs of decline shortly after signing the extension contract. That being said, owing to Checo’s fall from grace, it has been reported that Perez could lose his seat to a former Red Bull winner by the end of the year or early in the 2025 F1 season.
Daniel Ricciardo Might Replace Checo In 2025!
The 2024 F1 season is turning out to be a nightmare for Sergio Perez. He crashed twice and faced DNF multiple times already in the first half, which not only cost Red Bull crucial points in the constructors’ championship but also caused a huge financial strain. However, despite a noticeable decline, the drink-based outfit decided to extend his contract by another two years, a move which received mixed reactions from fans and analysts alike. However, Checo more or less proved his critics right as he witnessed a steep decline in his performance shortly after the extension came through. This year, he has had only four podium finishes and is ranked 5th in the driver’s championship with 118 points.
That being said, AMuS reported earlier this week that despite signing an extension contract, Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull is under imminent threat. The report mentioned that Checo has a strict performance clause in his deal, which allows RB to replace him in 2025 if they are unsatisfied with his performance for the rest of the year. Not only that, AMuS claimed that if Checo loses his seat next year, 8-time race winner and VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo will take his place. Notably, Ricciardo is the RB’s reserve driver, who is lent on loan to its sister team. He scored points in two of his last three races and has been fighting toe to toe with teammate Yuki Tsunoda. However, Ricciardo also has a performance clause similar to Checo. Hence, if he wants the seat, the Australian driver must keep scoring points and outqualify Tsunoda along the way as well.
Helmut Marko Spills The Tea On Ricciardo-Perez Transfer Rumours!
As rumours of Daniel Ricciardo potentially replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull in the 2025 season swarmed around the paddock, senior advisor Helmut Marko broke his silence at Silverstone. “We’ll know more by the summer break,” Marko said while addressing the reports of a potential replacement. If Marko’s timeline is true, time is running out for Checo.
He appeared relaxed following contract extension. However, this new clause changes everything. Checo cannot take his Red Bull seat for granted with Daniel Ricciardo breathing down his throat. Interestingly, free agent Carlos Sainz is not in the mix as Red Bull ruled out his candidature due to past issues with Max Verstappen during Torro Rosso days.
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