F1 star Sergio Perez drops Red Bull contract BOMBSHELL ahead of Qatar Grand Prix

sergio perez, christian horner, red bull racing, chinese grand prix, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull F1 News

Perez drops Red Bull contract BOMBSHELL ahead of Qatar Grand Prix

Sergio Perez is under increasing pressure at Red Bull

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 30 November 2024 12:57 Updated: 15:44

Red Bull Formula 1 star Sergio Perez has claimed that there is more going on behind the scenes than many are aware of when it came to the team deciding to renew his contract.

The Mexican's dismal performances in 2024 have led to suggestions that he could be replaced mid-season, or released early from his contract that currently runs until the end of the 2026 season.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen to be replaced by Red Bull as driver change announced at Qatar Grand Prix

Article continues under video

F1 RESULTS: Verstappen NIGHTMARE as Red Bull star finishes last

Perez has not achieved a podium in the sport since April, and has only amassed 13 points from his last seven events.

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko recently suggested that VCARB drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are embroiled in a shootout for Perez's seat, while rumours have linked the team with a mega-money swoop for Williams star Franco Colapinto.

Sergio Perez has had a dismal 2024 season

Several drivers have been linked with replacing Sergio Perez, including Liam Lawson

Perez's defiant future response

Perez currently sits eighth in the drivers' championship, and is 251 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen, who has managed to claim championship success despite Red Bull's struggles in 2024.

Marko recently suggested that there was a deadline set for Perez's future, revealing that talks would take place between team and driver after the Abu Dhabi GP to finalise the lineups in both Red Bull teams.

Now, Perez has made an announcement about his future with the team, suggesting that his drivers' championship performance was not the only driving factor behind the team's decision to offer him a new contract earlier this year.

"At the end of the day the team has all the information," Perez told the media ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

"There is so much that I can say here. At the end of the day the team has all the information and there’s a reason why we extended my contract during the year.

"The team has everything, you know, and we exactly know where we are, in terms of performance [and] in terms of issues that we’ve had.

"We are a team and we know exactly, internally, where everything stands so we’re working really hard as a team to come through and get back into a much better season than the one that we just had."

Red Bull Sergio Perez Helmut Marko Qatar Grand Prix Franco Colapinto