Red Bull on Perez’s F1 future: “Everything is open”

Red Bull says “everything is open” with the driver line-up of its two Formula 1 teams after the summer break, as speculation continues to swirl around Sergio Perez.

With recent disappointing performances having left Red Bull feeling that Perez’s form is “unsustainable” for the long term, the Mexican driver knows he needs to lift his game.

While ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix Perez said he had no doubts that he would remain at the team into next year, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says that the situation remains fluid.

And the possibility of a driver shuffle also surrounds sister team RB, with Daniel Ricciardo’s performances having also put question marks on his long-term future at the squad.

Speaking to Motorsport.com about whether a previous stance that driver decisions for both Red Bull and RB would still be made this summer, Marko said: “Yes, because we also have the Racing Bulls. So we have to consider everything.”

Marko went on to point out that a growing feeling that reserve driver Liam Lawson was favourite to get the nod for Red Bull if it was decided that Perez would not remain, was not necessarily correct.

Asked to respond to comments from RB’s Yuki Tsunoda that it would be “weird” for Red Bull to choose Lawson over him, Marko said: “He should first wait what the decisions will be.”

Asked by ORF if there was a favourite between Ricciardo, Tsunoda and Lawson, Marko replied: “That was a nice question. I’ll give a nice answer: everything is open.”

Perez is understood to have a performance-related clause in his contract that would allow Red Bull to drop him over the summer break if he is not within 100 points of team-mate Max Verstappen.

And while getting within that bracket is unlikely, Marko has been clear that beyond strict contractual terms what Red Bull wants to see is better performances – such as the encouraging pace he showed in Friday practice in Hungary.

“There are various forms of performance clauses and ultimately, it doesn’t matter what a contract looks like you just have to perform,” he added to ORF.

“We’ll have a look at the two races and then we’ll sit down together to decide what and how things will continue after the summer break.”

Red Bull is still hoping that Perez can turn around his form enough in the next two races to prove he has what it takes to help the team win the constructors’ championship.

Team principal Christian Horner told Sky after first practice in Hungary: “We all want Checo to realise the potential that he did in the first four or five races. And we know he’s capable of that.

“That’s why we took up the option early on him for next year to try and settle him. And I think he’s been in a bit of a head spin the last few races. But hopefully, today were the signs that he’s coming out of that.

“And the team are working very hard with him to support him and make sure that he does find his form because we desperately need it.”

Reflecting on the conversations that had been had with Perez over the past few weeks, Horner said that a chat over the British GP weekend.

“We have a really open relationship,” he said. “And I sat down with him in the kitchen at my house and said: ‘Come on, what’s going on? Is there something else?’ He was like, no, I think I’m just overthinking things a bit too much.”

Additional reporting by Ronald Vording and Frederick Hackbarth