This came after reports emerged that the reigning champion team were engaged in discussions with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. While three-time F1 world champion Verstappen has a long-term agreement with Red Bull until the conclusion of 2028, the experienced Perez’s contract with the team is set to expire at the end of this year.
During a press conference in Shanghai on Thursday, Perez expressed his hope of being able to reveal his plans for the upcoming season in the following weeks. This prompted inquiries at the managers’ press conference on Friday regarding whether this meant he would be departing from the Red Bull stable.
According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, the energy drink brand had been in talks with Sainz about a potential drive. However, Audi presented him with an offer that the Thai-Austrian company could not match.
Marko stated, “If Perez continues to perform at this level, then he is undoubtedly the best choice for Red Bull in 2025. He is a dedicated team player and has now come to the realization that the drastic setup changes he made last year were misguided. The car is now closer to Max’s setup, and that has been beneficial for him.”
In anticipation of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, Red Bull team boss Horner addressed the press conference for F1 team managers. He stated, “As a team, we are not in a hurry. We are fortunate to be in a position where many drivers would love to drive for us. We are content with the current pairing and simply want to ensure that Checo maintains the level of consistency he displayed at the beginning of this season,” echoing Marko’s sentiments.
In previous seasons, Perez has often struggled to extract the same level of performance from the Red Bull car as his teammate Verstappen, who won 19 out of 22 races last season. However, he currently occupies second place in the 2024 F1 world championship standings, trailing his teammate by 13 points but only leading Sainz by nine points. Sainz missed an opportunity to score points at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to an appendicitis.
On Friday, Horner commented, “It is only natural that there is significant interest surrounding Sainz, and I believe Audi would be unwise not to consider a driver of his caliber.” (Reporting by Joe Cash)