Sergio Perez's seat at Red Bull Racing for 2025 appears increasingly secure, largely thanks to a strong and growing lineup of commercial sponsors supporting the Mexican driver.
While Perez already has a contract through 2025, his place on the team has been under scrutiny this season as he's grappled with the current car, resulting in Red Bull trailing behind McLaren and Ferrari in the constructors' championship. Despite the uncertainty, Perez assured fans in Brazil, "You will see me in Vegas and you will see me next year."
This week, rumors began circulating that one of Perez's sponsors, which also supports Red Bull, is launching a TV series dedicated to his 2025 season.
"That's one of the reasons why they are still persisting with him," Dutch racing driver Renger van der Zande explained on Ziggo Sport.
According to Marca, Red Bull has now secured multiple "new sponsors for 2025" linked to Perez, and team principal Christian Horner has reportedly approved the production of 2025 team clothing and merchandise featuring the new sponsor logos.
"The name of the new sponsor is not yet known," reported Marca correspondent Marco Canseco, "but it would join Claro, Telcel and Infinitum, all of which are part of Carlos Slim's group, as well as Interproteccion, a global brokerage firm that has been with the driver for years."
Additional sponsors associated with Perez include Banorte, ESPN, Jalisco, and Uber. Canseco added that "these are driver sponsorships, tied solely and exclusively to him remaining in his cockpit, as otherwise they would abandon their investment and go to Checo's new destination."
In addition, the Nestle brand KitKat, which backs Perez, has suddenly become a global sponsor of Formula 1.
Reports suggest that Perez-linked sponsors cover his $10 million annual salary, with an additional $30 million going directly to Red Bull.
At the Mexican GP, Horner acknowledged Perez's commercial appeal, stating, "Look, Checo's our driver. He's contracted for 2025. Obviously huge support for him here. I think he's endorsing every product from Uber Eats to toilet roll this weekend."
However, at the Brazilian GP, Horner emphasized that Red Bull is keeping other options open for 2025, noting, "Liam Lawson did a super job in Brazil, and Yuki (Tsunoda)." He added, "Liam, particularly, considering his experience. Franco (Colapinto) is another talent. So, of course, you're always keeping an eye on the market of how things are developing."
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