Christian Horner makes two things clear about Sergio Perez’s Red Bull future

Christian Horner shut down the suggestion that Sergio Perez must finish P2 in the standings to save his Red Bull career, but looking ahead, they are not stumped for alternatives.

Perez will be hoping that the roar of his home crowd at the Mexican Grand Prix inspires him to recapture his early-season form, as he continues to scramble for any lifeline to get his Red Bull career back on the right path.

A mammoth three-day simulator stint ahead of the US Grand Prix, which Horner said his driver had never done before, did take Perez forward a step, though he was still left with a half-second deficit to team-mate Max Verstappen in one-lap pace, while Verstappen, battling a brake issue, won the Grand Prix, 18 seconds up the road from Perez in P4.

No Red Bull P2 ultimatum for Sergio Perez

And in Austin rumours began to bubble up that if Perez does not secure P2 in the F1 2023 Drivers’ standings, giving Red Bull their first one-two finish, then he would not be afforded the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract in F1 2024.

Horner though has now moved to deny that such an ultimatum exists.

“There’s no pre-mandate like that,” Horner affirmed.

“We’ve never finished first and second in a championship. We’ve finished first and third a few times with Mark [Webber] and Sebastian [Vettel] and we did it last year with Max and Checo.

“With this car it’ll be fantastic for in such a season that we’ve had, to finish it first and second.

“But there’s no pre-mandate on Checo that says ‘You have to finish second or you won’t be driving the car next year’. That’s never been discussed.”

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But Red Bull has alternatives to Sergio Perez

Horner remains consistent with the assurances that Perez will be in the Red Bull for F1 2024, but with his contract then up after that season, he faces a serious challenge to keep his spot for 2025.

In recent years the Red Bull pool had been surprisingly dry for talent to call-up, but that has changed, with Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson all viable contenders should Red Bull decide that Perez is no longer up to the task alongside Verstappen.

“We’re certainly not short of options,” said Horner as he cast an eye to 2025.

“Of course we’ve got plenty of plenty of time to look and evaluate that. But there are so many factors involved in that.”

Perez received a huge boost when Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from his P2 finish in Austin due to excessive plank wear on his Mercedes, meaning that rather than Hamilton cutting the gap, Perez actually strengthened his buffer over Hamilton in the battle for P2 to 39 points.

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