In the last five races of the world championship, the points collected by Sergio Perez put him in eleventh position, behind Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg. At the moment, Red Bull can still boast a solid position in the Constructors’ standings, the margin of 71 points over Ferrari (78 over McLaren) allows the world champion team not to have to run for cover. However, the partial score of 94 to 11 obtained in the last five Grands Prix by the Verstappen and Perez tandem is starting to seriously worry Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.
Always starting from Monaco, that is five GPs ago, Red Bull has given up 37 points to Mercedes and 36 to McLaren, and in perspective this is the data that most alarms the headquarters of Milton Keynes. For Perez the double trip Hungaroring-Spa seems to be a last call and it is no coincidence that starting from the Silverstone weekend the rumors about his future have intensified.
Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Marko’s half-sentences are traditionally the prelude to some changes, and the praise for Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo has progressively increased and even the future of Racing Bull has returned to the fore with a 2025 line-up that will once again feature a tandem of youngsters.
“I know I didn’t give the team 100% of my performance,” Perez admitted yesterday, “and that sometimes put me in difficult positions. In some cases, a lot of the blame was on me, but there were also many other circumstances that created a vicious circle. In Silverstone, I had a great Friday, then I made a mistake in qualifying, so it was down to me. Then in the race, we took a risk with the strategy and it didn’t work.” “But in the end, I know that the only thing that matters in this sport,” Checo concluded, “is how I finish the season in Abu Dhabi. Now we’re on a rollercoaster and I hope to be back in shape very soon.”
This is Perez’s vision, but there are those who are convinced that in reality the time available to the Mexican is much shorter and that, if a convincing response does not arrive between Hungaroring and Spa, the summer break for Checo risks being much longer than expected. In Red Bull (it’s no secret) there is a difference of opinion between Horner, who if he were to replace Perez would focus on Ricciardo, and Marko, who would see the figure of Tsunoda as more suitable.
From what is emerging in the Hungaroring paddock, the Japanese candidate has gained ground in the last week. Then there is also Liam Lawson. The test completed last week at Silverstone, at the wheel of the RB20, has added the name of the New Zealander among the potential candidates to replace Perez, but more from outside than inside the team, which currently sees Lawson’s candidacy directed towards Racing Bulls.
![Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing](https://cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/2QzKBJPY/s1000/max-verstappen-red-bull-racing.jpg)
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Erik Junius
Rumors about Max Verstappen are also constantly floating around this scenario. The world champion seems intent on staying at Red Bull, at least in 2025, then we’ll see. Horner reiterated it (but that’s obvious) and Max said it too, and that matters more. Dad Jos sees it differently, but his influence on Max’s choices seems to be decreasing. There are also those who claim that if the two Verstappens wanted to create the greatest possible discomfort for Horner, the best scenario would be for him to leave the team in the fall, with his fourth world title already in his pocket and a driver market that has effectively already closed, at least for the top figures. Conspiracy? The answer will only come when the game is over, when the team-driver chessboard for the 2025 season is complete.
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