Red Bull have hinted Sergio Perez is set to lose his seat after this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Perez has been under pressure for most of this season after scoring just 152 of Red Bull’s 581 points and rarely getting near team-mate Max Verstappen.
The last weekend in Qatar saw him eliminated in the first part of Sprint Qualifying and he spun in the main race on a Safety Car restart, overheating his clutch in the process which caused him to retire.
“Checo has been a wonderful driver for us. Certainly in 2021, 2022, 2023, he contributed to Max’s championship in 2021 and the constructors’ in 2022 and 2023,” Horner told Sky Sports F1.
“Most of all, he’s a great guy. He’s not enjoying the situation he’s in at the moment. He knows the pressure of this business.
“We are going to give him all the support we can all the way to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi. What he decides to do, that will be his decision at the end of the day.
“He’s old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions. There’s still a race to go.”
Horner later reiterated to the written media: “Checo’s old enough and wise enough to know what the situation is. Let’s see where we are after Abu Dhabi.”
Perez’s start to the season, which featured four podiums in five races, soon earned him a two-year contract extension in June until the end of 2026 season but, with Red Bull’s bosses not denying that his new term contains performance clauses.
After Red Bull chose to stick with him beyond the summer break, Perez produced his best form for months at September’s Azerbaijan GP but finished without anything to show for it after a last-lap collision with Carlos Sainz.
Aside from Baku, Perez has largely struggled and his lack of points has meant Red Bull are likely to finish third in the Constructors’ Championship behind McLaren and Ferrari.
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Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is overtaken by Williams’ Franco Colapinto at pit start of Qatar GP Sprint
“There is a meeting Monday after Abu Dhabi. All the major people are there, all of the shareholders, and there a decision will be done,” Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko told Viaplay.
“We always, or most of the time, brought our own drivers through the Red Bull programme and I think it’s a philosophical decision – do we stick to that? And what I got from the shareholders is it will be in this direction.”
Button: Tsunoda deserves chance at Red Bull
RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are the two leading candidates to replace Perez at Red Bull for 2025.
Tsunoda will drive the main Red Bull car for the first time in his career at the post-season Abu Dhabi Test next Tuesday.
2009 F1 world champion and Sky Sports F1‘s Jenson Button believes Tsunoda should be Verstappen’s next team-mate.
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Red Bull’s Sergio Perez believes he extended his contract with the team for a good reason, as rumours that he may leave continue to grow
“I personally think yes,” said Button when asked if Tsunoda deserves a chance at Red Bull.
“They keep throwing team-mates at him and he keeps kicking them away. He’s a very different Yuki to last year. He’s not as fiery as he was and he’s getting the results.
“I think he’s the plug and play for that position. If it was me, I’m not sure I would want to step in the Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, that’s the toughest drive in the pit lane, but if he’s up for it, great.
“Lawson, for me, needs to improve still and needs to show he can put in a good result.”
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Tsunoda has got the better of Lawson in their five events as team-mates at RB, following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure in September.
Sky Sports F1‘s Anthony Davidson also feels Tsunoda, who signed a contract in June to stay at RB in 2025, should be promoted to Red Bull.
“From a drivers’ point of view at RB they must be loving this situation where they see in the A team some vulnerability with Sergio Perez and they sniff that chance,” said Davidson.
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Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on a dramatic race at the Qatar Grand Prix
“So they are going to be driving flat out to try and create that opportunity for themselves and you can see how feisty the drivers are.
“Helmut Marko is the one who has been in charge of the young driver programme at Red Bull. I personally believe Yuki shows how long it takes to establish yourself in F1. It’s a harsh environment to come into.
“RB is a good environment to hone your skills and I believe Yuki is getting there more and more, becoming more consistent.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
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Ahead of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, check out some of the best title deciders from the past decade
Thursday December 5
11am: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday December 6
5.45am: F1 Academy Practice One
7am: F2 Practice
9am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.30pm: F1 Academy Qualifying*
3.15pm: The F1 Show*
Saturday December 7
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race One
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday December 8
7.20am: F1 Academy Race Two
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
4pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – live this coming week on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW
