27 May 2024 , 11:28
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Red Bull are likely to hand Sergio Perez a new contract despite a horrible weekend in Monte Carlo.
The Mexican was only 18th fastest in Q1 and was only bumped up two places on the grid because both Haas cars were disqualified over a technical rule breach. But on the first lap of the race he collided with both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and smashed up his car.
The crash was deemed a racing incident, even if Perez insisted Magnussen was the one at fault. In any case, though, it was hardly the ideal weekend for a man whose contract expires at the end of this season.
He need not fear about his future, though. Mirror Sport understands the 34-year-old remains in pole position for a Red Bull extension and is likely to continue to race alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.
Perez started the season well and drew compliments from all sides, including from boss Christian Horner. But even before his Monaco horror show, questions were again raised over his position as he limped to eighth place at Imola.
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This wobble has not discouraged Red Bull chiefs, however, who still view Perez as the best candidate for the seat right now. That's despite having experienced race-winner Daniel Ricciardo and the in-form Yuki Tsunoda on the books at sister team RB.
The latter has earned plenty of admirers for his strong and consistent results so far this year but it is understood there has been no serious consideration given to promoting him to the main Red Bull team. Meanwhile, Ricciardo's results have simply not been good enough for him to be a realistic candidate.
Yuki Tsunoda has impressed but is not likely to be a candidate for promotion to Red Bull any time soon (Getty Images)An outside hire remains a possibility and Carlos Sainz is the obvious contender given he is leaving Ferrari at the end of the year. The idea of signing the Spaniard has been considered, but Red Bull have cooled whatever interest they had and he is no longer thought to be a serious option for the team.
So, barring a significant shift in attitude among team chiefs, Perez is likely to extend his Red Bull career by at least another year. But questions will be raised over what Tsunoda will do next and whether the F1 champions risk losing an emerging talent by committing to the Mexican.
Japanese racer Tsunoda has been linked with a move to Aston Martin, who will link up with his sponsors Honda in 2026. And he said last week: "If they don't want me or, you know, they're not expecting me into the seat, yeah, if I've got an interesting offer that could be better than even VCARB or Red Bull, yeah, I'll think about it."