Verdict: Which driver should fill second Red Bull seat as Sergio Perez form spirals?

Signing a new multi-year contract did not do the trick for Sergio Perez, and now speculation over his Red Bull future has returned.

After a fresh Q1 exit at Silverstone, followed by finishing the rain-affected race two laps behind winner Lewis Hamilton, the pressure is mounting significantly on Perez with Red Bull keeping a nervous watch on the Constructors’ Championship, their dominance seemingly done.

But, is Sergio Perez still the best Red Bull fit?

Here is what some our lovely writers think…

Thomas Maher: Let’s get this 12-month-old Band-Aid ripped off, shall we?

Ever since Daniel Ricciardo was brought back into the fold at Red Bull, it’s been with an eye to seeing whether he has what it takes to slot back in alongside Max Verstappen. Over the last year, there have been flashes of the old Ricciardo but, mostly, he’s had to play second fiddle to Yuki Tsunoda.

Since Tsunoda doesn’t appear to be a suitable candidate to replace Sergio Perez, for whatever reason, there is simply nothing left to lose by getting the Ricciardo question answered. Perez appears unable to break out of his annual spiral and, after three years, the heroics he performed on Verstappen’s behalf in Abu Dhabi can’t buy him any more time.

With the Constructors’ Championship genuinely under threat this year with Red Bull fielding one strong driver against two-car teams at Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari, it’s time to drop Perez back from the front line and get Ricciardo in the seat for the last 10 races of the year.

If he thrives, keep him for 2025. If not, then at least the question that has been on Red Bull’s mind has been answered.

As for Perez, he is not thriving under the pressure. He has shown in the past he is a very strong and capable midfield driver, and perhaps the VCARB environment will suit him better.

If he can’t handle the ignominy of a mid-season demotion, or decides to press on with a fresh environment elsewhere, Red Bull are hardly stuck for choice – Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings, while Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar is making “a strong case for himself” as he leads the Formula 2 Championship.

However, my understanding is that Lawson’s filming day times slightly underwhelmed Red Bull – his quickest benchmark time being two-tenths off the time earmarked as Verstappen’s benchmark from the weekend. His chances of securing a seat with either Red Bull team may thus come down to how Perez fares in the last two races before the summer break.

I believe there are big changes coming on the Red Bull driver front, and it’s last chance saloon for both Perez and Ricciardo. Fresh faces are incoming for one or both of the teams for 2025, and the final 10 races of this year allow for an extensive evaluation of how other drivers may fare – all with little risk as Perez’s performances have been so sub-par of late.

And, if an internal hire isn’t to Red Bull’s taste, Carlos Sainz is still available…

Jamie Woodhouse: This fresh Perez slump mirrors what we saw last season from the F1 veteran, yet Red Bull deemed him their strongest option to partner Verstappen for F1 2024. Of course, this time around, there is a major difference to the situation.

Red Bull won 21 of the 22 grands prix last season, meaning even Perez struggling to stay in form was never really going to threaten their grip on the Constructors’ Championship title. Perez also ensured a 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ Championship.

But now, Red Bull has lost that buffer over the rest which they enjoyed, McLaren and Mercedes more than just snapping at their heels, so a one-driver assault from Verstappen is not going to be enough for Red Bull to win a seventh Constructors’ title.

Verstappen has broken plenty of Red Bull team-mates, think Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, as Perez now battles to hang on, but rather than at this point accept Verstappen is in another universe and his team-mate will always struggle, Red Bull need a fresh face in that second seat. They need Liam Lawson.

Thrown in at the deep end last season when Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand at Zandvoort, Lawson proved a revelation, not only in terms of performance, but also in how unflappable he was through what should have been a huge challenge with the Red Bull second team at such short notice.

Lawson was unlucky to miss out on a full-time drive this season and if Red Bull cannot give him an F1 2025 seat, then according to driver programme boss Helmut Marko, contractually, that frees Lawson to leave. With the form Perez is in right now, it feels like Red Bull have nothing to lose in giving Lawson a chance.

Elizabeth Blackstock: Though Sergio Perez brings ample sponsorship dollars, it’s clear that Red Bull can no longer afford to preserve his place in a top-level seat. It’s time to move on — sooner rather than later.

Let’s say Perez struggles in Hungary and Belgium, leaving Red Bull free to sever ties. It’s time to promote Daniel Ricciardo… as a placeholder.

Since his mid-season return in 2023, Ricciardo hasn’t exactly blown teammate Yuki Tsunoda out of the water performance-wise, but Ricciardo was really only ever a placeholder, wasn’t he? Let’s round out 2024 by promoting the Australian to a placeholder seat in the big leagues.

That leaves his VCARB seat free for the driver who really should be getting a shot in F1: Liam Lawson.

Lawson proved his skill behind the wheel of an F1 machine while subbing in for an injured Ricciardo last year, but it’s wise to give him some time to truly come to grips with the complexities of the sport before pressuring him with a seat alongside the soul-crushingly competitive Max Verstappen. Save that for 2025, when Ricciardo can step aside with grace.

So, 2025. Lawson’s up to Red Bull, and Ricciardo and Perez are gone. Who takes the leftover VCARB seat?

Allow me to dream a little, if I may. One Mr. Pato O’Ward is currently placed high enough in the IndyCar Series to secure enough Superlicense points to finally get a shot at F1. Why not do something a little crazy, and give a different Mexican racer a shot at the big leagues?

And if that doesn’t work out, well — Isack Hadjar will have had another year in F2 to prove he’s ready for F1.

Henry Valantine: It has to be Liam Lawson at this rate, hasn’t it? Then again, given how this driver market has played out, absolutely nothing is certain.

Helmut Marko’s recent assertions that VCARB should be a junior team are the most tell-tale sign yet that the team will opt for youth, and if Red Bull don’t stick with Perez (as is contracted), I can see a return for Ricciardo being more likely than a frying pan-fire scenario for Lawson, even if it is unfair for Yuki Tsunoda’s name to seemingly not be taken as seriously in these conversations surrounding the ‘senior’ seat, given how well he has driven this season.

Read next – Max Verstappen’s F1 future update with Jos Verstappen ‘finished’ with Christian Horner