Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 future will be decided by Red Bull’s shareholders after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, revealed Helmut Marko.
It’s not looking promising for the Mexican driver as Marko’s finger is pointed right at him when it comes to why Red Bull can “no longer” win the Constructors’ Championship.
Sergio Perez will learn his fate after Abu Dhabi
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock
The Red Bull team-mates have had a season of contrasting fortunes with Verstappen racing to his fourth successive Drivers’ Championship title while Perez is lagging down in eighth place in the standings.
Scoring just 21 points since Red Bull made the call over the summer break to continue with the Mexican driver for the remainder of the campaign, Perez has a total of 152 points in a season in which he has not won a single Grand Prix and has only four podium results to his name. Verstappen has eight victories, 13 podiums and 403 points.
For Marko, it is easy to see why Red Bull won’t win this year’s Constructors’ Championship where they trail McLaren by 53 points with only two races remaining.
“We have to have two drivers who finish in the points,” he said to DAZN. “Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio.
“For our employees, it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses as those depend on our position in the Constructors’ Championship.
“And there’s no chance we can win it.”
He told ORF that a decision on whether or not Red Bull continue with Perez next season will be made after Abu Dhabi with the final say going to Red Bull’s shareholders.
“There will be a meeting after Abu Dhabi and the result of this meeting will be presented to the shareholders and they will then decide what the driver situation for both teams will look like for next year,” he revealed.
“I don’t know the exact gap now, but I think Checo has over 200 points less than Max. And then it’s clear that the Constructors’ title is no longer possible… If Sergio was anywhere near Hamilton and Russell or Ferrari or even McLaren, then we would be well ahead again.”
Perez is over 50 points down on the two Mercedes team-mates despite the Brackley squad’s ongoing struggles with their ground-effect aerodynamic car. Both George Russell, P6 in the standings, and Lewis Hamilton, P7, have two wins apiece.
Christian Horner highlights the ‘problem’ with Sergio Perez
Liam Lawson is the favourite to replace Perez should Red Bull wield the axe.
Scoring four points in his four races with Red Bull’s junior team VCARB, the Kiwi has so far avoided the crashes that have blighted his fellow candidate Franco Colapinto in recent weeks.
Crashing twice at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Colapinto was again in the barrier hard in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix with that said to have cooled Red Bull’s interest.
Should Lawson step up to Red Bull to partner Verstappen, it’s Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar who will most likely take the second VCARB seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
But for now, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has nothing new to share about his teams’ 2025 line-ups.
“Anything regarding the drivers… We have drivers under contract, and we have drivers with options that remain between the company and the drivers involved,” Horner told the media including PlanetF1.com.
“And there’s nothing to say on that. But if there was something to say, I’d tell you.
“I mean, obviously, a single point from Checo. I mean, it was a good drive from him, a good recovery.
“But the problem is, we’re starting out of position on the day that McLaren were weak. We would have liked to have taken more points out of them today.”