Rumors about Sergio Pérez’s standing with Pink Bull refuse to go away.
The 2024 Formulation 1 season started with the driving force on a contract that expired on the finish of the marketing campaign, and rampant hypothesis that he may discover himself on the skin wanting in earlier than 2025. With 4 drivers for 3 spots — counting Pérez, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, and Daniel Ricciardo as these 4 drivers — Pink Bull and their sister crew Visa Money App RB F1 Group confronted some looming selections.
Forward of the Canadian Grand Prix, it appeared some selections have been made. Pink Bull introduced a brand new contract with Pérez that might hold him in his present seat by means of the 2026 season, after which phrase got here that VCARB was retaining Tsunoda, exercising an choice on the driving force for the 2025 marketing campaign.
So, now three of the seats have been set for 2025 — on condition that Max Verstappen’s present seat at Pink Bull is his so long as he desires it — with simply Ricciardo and Lawson as potential choices for the ultimate slot.
Or so we thought.
As a result of a lot has modified since then, Pérez is within the midst of a troublesome run of type that Pink Bull Group Principal Christian Horner has described as “unsustainable,” as the driving force has secured simply 11 factors since that announcement. He completed outdoors the factors in Canada and final weekend within the British Grand Prix and managed simply an eighth-place end within the Spanish Grand Prix. His greatest end result over the previous a number of race weekends got here at Pink Bull Ring when Pérez completed seventh.
Proper behind Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg, whose 16 factors since Montreal have seen the Haas driver outscore Pérez (and Charles Leclerc for that matter, however that may be a dialogue for an additional time).
Consequently, Pérez is now beneath renewed strain, thanks not simply to his current poor type but additionally as a result of 2024 is just not 2023 in Formulation 1.
Contemplate this. The British Grand Prix was the twelfth race weekend of the 2024 F1 marketing campaign, that means we now have reached the midway level. Right here is how the highest 4 groups sit within the Constructors’ Championship standings.
Standings on the midway level (12 races) this yr:
Pink Bull: 373
Ferrari: 302
McLaren: 295
Mercedes: 221
Aston Martin: 68
How have been the top-five groups aligned on the halfway level final yr?
Standings on the midway level (11 races) final yr:
Pink Bull: 452
Mercedes: 223
Aston Martin: 184
Ferrari: 167
McLaren: 87
Issues are a lot completely different now. Pink Bull wants each Verstappen and Pérez to carry out at a excessive stage to fend off their rivals.
And for the time being, they don’t seem to be getting that from Pérez.
“[Pérez] is aware of it’s unsustainable to not be scoring factors – we now have to be scoring factors in that automotive, and he is aware of that,” stated Horner after the British Grand Prix. “He is aware of his position and his goal, so no one is extra keen than Checo to seek out his type once more.
“It’s one thing we’re conscious about, that to win the Constructors’ Championship you want each automobiles scoring.”
If that was not sufficient strain on Pérez, the ever-quotable Dr. Helmut Marko has added to the stress the driving force have to be feeling.
Talking with 247 Grand Prix this week the Pink Bull Senior Advisor mentioned “exit clauses” in all Pink Bull contracts, and the way a call on Pérez will come through the summer time break, following the following two races.
“All Formulation 1 contracts have exit clauses, most of them associated to efficiency or let’s say for the highest drivers,” stated Marko. “As I discussed earlier than, we may have an analysis through the summer time break after which we are going to decide”
So far as who may change him Marko deflected the dialogue away from Lawson — who’s driving the RB20 at present at Silverstone in a filming session — and in the direction of Tsunoda.
“First we now have to see,” added Marko. “Lawson is testing at Silverstone on Thursday. And yeah, so two extra races and there shall be extra outings with Lawson. There’s additionally Yuki Tsunoda who’s doing very nicely.”
These two races? The Hungarian Grand Prix the following weekend, and the Belgian Grand Prix the next weekend. These have been each sturdy weekends for Pérez a season in the past. He solely certified ninth in Hungary however labored his manner by means of the sector to complete third. Then at Spa the next race weekend he certified third for the Grand Prix and picked up a spot on the monitor to complete second.
These outcomes added 33 factors to Pérez’s account, serving to to ease issues after he endured an identical down stretch of races.
A pair of drives like these from a yr in the past these subsequent two race weekends will go a good distance in the direction of easing the present issues about Pérez at Pink Bull. Outcomes comparable to these will even help Pink Bull as they attempt to fend off groups like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes who’ve been nipping at their heels these previous few weeks.
Nonetheless, if Pérez’s struggles proceed, the door does appear open to him being changed following the summer time break.
As for who would change him — whether or not Lawson, Ricciardo, or Tsunoda — that continues to be to be seen. However Marko mentioning Tsunoda when requested about Lawson appears, not less than to this author, to be noteworthy.
