Mexican driver Sergio Perez signed with Red Bull Racing three years ago. However, being on a top team and racing with a fierce teammate like Max Verstappen comes with its own set of cons. Perez, often referred to as “Checo,” has been inconsistent compared to his teammate, who is literally scripting his own legacy in Formula One at the age of 25.
Over the past three years, while Sergio Perez has secured five race wins, Max Verstappen has 37 in his bag as of the 2023 Monza race weekend. Particularly this season, Checo is feeling a lot of heat. His constant failures in qualifying, followed by underwhelming race weekends, have wreaked havoc in the Red Bull camp. Amid this, Perez opened up on his future for the first time in a long while.
Sergio Perez Unsure Of His Return With Red Bull In 2024?
This season, Sergio Perez has got his hands on the fastest car on the grid, the RB19. However, the Mexican driver has failed to push it to the limit. He has failed to reach Q3 of qualifying sessions for five consecutive times between Monaco and Britain. On top of that, Max Verstappen’s record-winning streak is mounting additional pressure on Checo. As a result, rumors of his pre-mature departure have been gaining momentum for quite a while. Sergio has a contract with Red Bull till the end of the 2024 season, and the team has verbally committed to adhering to it. But the constant backlash from senior member Helmut Marko seems to suggest otherwise.
Amid raging speculations, Sergio Perez has opened up on his future for the very first time. Speaking to DAZN Espana, Checo said that in the sport of Formula One, you learn new things each year, and this year has been the biggest learning experience. But the most important thing is to learn from the mistake and make sure never to repeat it. While reflecting on the 2023 season, Perez said that he wants to race in an environment where he can contribute. If at any point he feels he cannot contribute in 2025, he will start looking for other alternatives. Regardless of what the future holds, Checo’s main focus is to win races and championships for Red Bull with whatever time’s left. “I have a contract until next year, and at some point next year, we will sit down and talk,” added Perez.
Helmut Marko Calls Lando Norris’ Long Contract With McLaren “Unfortunate”
Meanwhile, Red Bull has already begun to look for options aside from Sergio Perez. Helmut Marko, the senior motorsport advisor of the team, said it’s unfortunate that Lando Norris has such a long contract with McLaren. Norris is tied to McLaren till the end of the 2025 season. Apparently, Marko has a soft side for Norris and considers him a potential candidate for the second Red Bull seat.
On the other hand, the team advisor slammed Sergio Perez for his inconsistency and passed unnecessary and insensitive remarks. Marko said that Checo is inconsistent and not focused all the time. The senior member crossed a line when he said that Perez was already 30 and was expecting his fourth child. “So he also has other interests,” said Marko. The personal comment was totally uncalled for, and a senior member like Helmut could have had a better choice of words.
