Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists that it is "very unlikely" Sunday's Brazilian GP will be Sergio Perez's last race with the team, despite intensifying rumors about his future.
Perez's struggles continued in his home race last weekend, which became one of his worst weekends of 2024 yet.
"We know that qualifying is not his strong point, but being eliminated in Q1 was very disappointing," Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko commented in his Speed Week column. He also noted Perez's unusual mistake on race day, saying, "The fact that a man with his experience would then position the car incorrectly in the starting box is incomprehensible and a real shame."
Adding to the turbulence, Perez clashed on track with Liam Lawson, who has been gaining attention as a potential Red Bull contender. The clash even led Lawson to make a gesture, which Marko addressed: "Liam even gave his opponent the finger - he later apologized for this, and we accepted that."
Speculation is mounting that Red Bull may consider promoting Lawson, who has performed impressively since stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo, to replace Perez for the final races after Brazil. While some suggest Yuki Tsunoda as another option, Marko's view on the Japanese driver was also critical: "Yuki Tsunoda had two accidents last weekend. First a spin in qualifying, then a collision with (Alex) Albon shortly after the start. The spin in the final practice session was doubly annoying because he not only ruined his own lap, but also Lawson's."
Marko added, "I think Yuki feels the pressure from Lawson. There is no other explanation for such a mistake."
On Lawson's readiness, Marko stated, "He's already proven his qualities and confirmed the trust placed in him." Yet, according to Horner, Perez's removal after Brazil remains unlikely. "I think it's very, very unlikely," Horner told Viaplay, explaining, "We'll sit back and look and try to understand what happened in this race."
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, meanwhile, believes Red Bull may face difficulties in removing Perez due to contract terms, saying, "If I were Red Bull, I would put pressure on Sergio to retire. But if I were Checo, I would say 'I have a contract, I'm going to serve it out.'"
Montoya also weighed in on Lawson's aggressive racing approach, including his incident with Perez: "Lawson is trying to make a point and show that he is much better than Checo in a much worse car. He doesn't realise that he could now be one of the reasons why Red Bull loses the constructors' championship."
He concluded, "Perez was on his way to points, and in the end didn't score any points, partly because Lawson crashed with him. It's fine that he (Lawson) wants to race aggressively and make Checo's life miserable, but he has to realise that it's not Formula 3, it's not a sports car, and you're not Max Verstappen."
