Red Bull officials have reiterated that Franco Colapinto is an unlikely candidate for a race seat with either of the company's Formula 1 teams in 2025, as Sergio Perez faces mounting pressure following another disappointing performance.
The Mexican driver's struggles continued in Qatar, where he spun out of Sunday's race. Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner hinted that Perez might be considering his own future in the sport.
"He is not enjoying the situation he is in at the moment," Horner said. "Whatever he decides to do, it will be his decision. I think he is big enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions."
Speaking to DAZN, Horner added, "There's one race left, let's hope he does it in a positive way. Nobody wants to see him retire like this."
While Colapinto, a Williams-contracted rookie, has been linked to Red Bull for 2025, team advisor Dr Helmut Marko dismissed the likelihood of an external candidate taking the seat.
"We have always brought our drivers through the Red Bull program, and so the question is—do we continue with that?" Marko explained. "And what the shareholders have told me is that it will be in this direction."
Similarly, RB team principal Laurent Mekies suggested that the current pairing of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson at RB is likely to remain unchanged for next year.
"The decision to keep the Tsunoda-Lawson pairing is probably the most logical one for us," Mekies said. "Ultimately, the decision will be taken after Abu Dhabi. But there will be no negotiations from our side with other drivers. What we have is working perfectly."
Should Perez's struggles lead to his replacement in 2025, Lawson or Tsunoda would be first in line for a promotion. Meanwhile, Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar - next in line for a shot at F1 - has expressed his readiness for a debut.
"I am ready," the French driver told Canal Plus in Qatar, as he looks to be part of Red Bull's F1 race program.
