Despite not winning any races in the 2024 Formula 1 season thus far, Perez has consistently performed well alongside his teammate. In three out of the first four races, he finished behind his teammate in a one-two formation for Red Bull. The only exception was the Australian GP, where Verstappen retired due to a faulty brake. Perez, on the other hand, finished fifth after receiving a grid penalty for impeding and dealing with car damage that affected his race. However, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the Japanese GP saw the energy drinks team secure another one-two finish.
During the Japanese GP, Perez qualified just 0.066s behind Verstappen. Throughout the race, he successfully recovered from an early undercut by McLaren’s Lando Norris and fought his way back to second place. Reflecting on Perez’s performance at Suzuka, Marko, a member of the team, stated that Sergio is following the same set-up as Max, which is the fastest set-up available. According to Marko, it is crucial to have the same set-up as Max in order to be competitive. Ultimately, Marko acknowledges that it is challenging to outperform Max, emphasizing his exceptional skills on the track.
Perez previously boasted about challenging Verstappen for the Championship in 2022 and 2023, but this plan backfired. However, Marko, the Red Bull Racing team’s representative, has confirmed that the second driver within the team now has a different mindset.
According to Marko, Perez’s new mentality is focused on maximizing his own performance with the car. This change in mindset is evident in the first few races of the season. Perez has achieved second-place finishes and has been competitive in qualifying, coming close to Verstappen’s performance. This improvement is particularly important considering Perez’s disastrous race at this circuit last year.
Perez’s contract expires at the end of the season, but if he continues to perform well, there is a high possibility that he will retain his seat. Red Bull wants Perez to consistently finish second behind Verstappen, and he is currently meeting their expectations.
However, the driver’s market has become chaotic since Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025. This move has left Carlos Sainz without a drive, despite his excellent current form, which would make him a strong candidate for a top F1 seat next year.
Additionally, several other drivers, including Fernando Alonso, will become free agents at the end of this season. The situation is further complicated by Verstappen’s decision-making process following the Christian Horner controversy involving a female employee and the power struggle within the team, which also involved Jos Verstappen. Marko himself was briefly investigated for allegedly leaking Horner’s WhatsApp messages.
Although things appear calm at the moment, the unpredictable nature of F1 means that anything can happen. The upcoming “Silly Season” promises to be filled with unexpected twists and turns. Mercedes will be seeking a replacement for Hamilton, and Audi, who now own Sauber, are also expected to play a significant role in the driver’s market, with Sainz being strongly linked to them.
According to Marko, the driver market has seen a surge of activity in April, which is unusual for this time of year. Despite this, Red Bull Racing will not rush into making a decision and will instead wait and assess their options. Marko mentioned that he is aware of rumors about Audi putting pressure on the market, but finds it strange for a newcomer to exert such influence. He emphasized the importance of having a clear understanding of what is best for Red Bull Racing before making any decisions. One potential candidate for a Red Bull seat is Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese RB driver who has performed well in the 2024 F1 season so far. However, Marko believes it is still too early to determine if Tsunoda is ready for the promotion. Marko acknowledged Tsunoda’s improvement and impressive performances, highlighting his calmness, lack of mistakes, and exceptional overtaking skills. He expressed the need to observe Tsunoda’s progress in the coming races. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier from Suzuka)