McLaren star claims Perez ‘OUT’ of Red Bull after shock U-turn

A McLaren racing star has issued a damning verdict on the future of Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Perez has been under huge pressure to keep his seat throughout 2024, with a run of poor performances allowing McLaren to put up a real fight to Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

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The 34-year-old started the season well, with four podiums in the opening five races encouraging Red Bull to hand him a contract extension, but he now sits down in seventh in the drivers' championship behind a plethora of rivals.

Rumours Perez would be replaced during Formula 1's summer break were quickly put to bed by team principal Christian Horner, but Perez's future beyond the end of this season is still not a foregone conclusion, despite his new contract.

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Perez 'out' of Red Bull

Perez has not beaten team-mate Max Verstappen in a race they have both finished since April 2023 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race that is coming up on the 2024 calendar in September.

The 34-year-old's home race in Mexico is still to come this season too, another event in which he will feel he has a chance of claiming a victory that has eluded him so far in 2024.

However, ahead of those races, McLaren junior star Gabriel Bortoleto has suggested that Red Bull will look to replace Perez if he does not drastically improve in the second half of 2024.

"I think Perez will be out next year," he told Motorsport.com's Brazilian site.

"I don’t know if he has a contract but, with the results he’s having, he’s out."

Bortoleto is currently competing for the F2 championship title and is part of the McLaren driver development programme.

The Brazilian himself may soon be on the move, too, with the young star recently linked with Audi's F1 project.

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