Red Bull has retained Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen's teammate for 2024, despite a season of inconsistent performance. The team explored several options, including Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and Liam Lawson, but ultimately chose to stick with Perez due to his sponsorship value.
The saga of Red Bull's second seat alongside Max Verstappen is a long and predictable one for a team with a 'normal' approach to the driver market . Carlos Sainz unexpectedly became available for 2025 when his Ferrari seat went to Lewis Hamilton. The Verstappens didn't want Sainz in the Red Bull team, fearing a repeat of their unpleasant time as Toro Rosso team-mates.
Perez started the season well as number two, leading Christian Horner to extend his contract early to prevent a loss of form like the one experienced in 2023. This didn't work, and Perez's regression was even more severe. Red Bull brought Daniel Ricciardo back to F1 as a potential replacement, but Ricciardo's form was also poor, being beaten comprehensively by Yuki Tsunoda. Perez's decline continued, prompting Red Bull to consider replacements before the summer break. Liam Lawson was invited to test the Red Bull but didn't quite meet the pace expectations. Perez was retained for the rest of 2024, but his performance remained poor except in Baku. Ricciardo was dropped after Singapore, and Lawson took his seat. Tsunoda outperformed Lawson in terms of points and qualifying, but Horner wasn't a fan. Faced with a choice, Red Bull decided to retain Perez, despite his performance, and the millions he brings in through Mexican sponsorship, effectively making him a pay-driver.
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Sergio Perez Max Verstappen Driver Market
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