It’s turning into more and more troublesome to see how Sergio Perez shall be retained by Pink Bull for 2025. Whereas the Mexican has a contract, as we’ve come to see, they’re meaningless when it actually boils all the way down to it.
The message from Pink Bull is evident: “Checo is our driver subsequent 12 months” – solely which may not essentially be the case.
Perez continues to disappoint to the purpose that crew boss Christian Horner has been left exasperated, having caught by the 34-year-old till now.
Horner handed him a profession lifeline in 2021 when Perez was proven the door by Racing Level, and the crew principal has continued to defend his poor outcomes. The aforementioned contract extension was supplied early within the marketing campaign within the hope that job safety would elicit extra efficiency from his struggling driver.
This 12 months, it was made clear that Perez wanted to have a greater season than he did in 2023, when he was steamrollered by Max Verstappen. Nevertheless, he has not had a podium for the reason that Chinese language Grand Prix in April, and his final victory was in Azerbaijan in April 2023.
It needs to be mirrored {that a} sturdy drive in Baku this time period got here near breaking Perez’s podium drought, till late contact with Carlos Sainz triggered each drivers to overlook out on silverware, having been battling over third place.
Perez at present finds himself in eighth place within the drivers’ championship – a staggering 242 factors behind his team-mate.
Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing RB20, sprays mud as he tries to rejoin after a spin
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Verstappen’s epic victory within the Brazilian Grand Prix seems to be to have secured him a fourth straight world title, which he can achieve next time out in Las Vegas.
As Pink Bull turns its consideration to the constructors’ championship, the place it sits 49 factors behind McLaren, there’s a case to be made that Perez’s failures are costing not solely crew factors however are additionally hitting its workforce within the pocket.
The monetary construction at Pink Bull signifies that every member of workers shall be denied a win bonus of at the least £10,000 in the event that they fail to safe the constructors’ title. Put crudely, wanting on the outcomes of the squad’s two drivers, it’s simple the place to level the finger of blame.
There has lengthy been a idea that Pink Bull continued with Perez because of the profitable endorsements he introduced. But cash within the crew’s coffers is not any comfort to a disgruntled workforce who’ve missed out on a brand new kitchen or household vacation.
Pink Bull too can’t afford any disharmony throughout the organisation. We now have already seen it ripped and torn all through the investigation into Horner earlier this 12 months, which strained working relationships throughout the operation.
A certain technique to restore that harm can be to have a robust 2025 season with its primary driver, Verstappen, profitable the title and the second driver contributing sufficient to safe the constructors’ championship. It’s fairly clear that one thing wants to vary for Pink Bull to attain that.
So, who does Pink Bull decide? Tongues began wagging in Sao Paulo when Horner went into the Williams hospitality as, amid all of the fanfare of Franco Colapinto’s nice begin in F1, there was a fast assumption that Horner was testing the Argentine’s availability.
Christian Horner, Staff Principal, Pink Bull Racing, on the grid
Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photos
Whether or not he had any intention of signing him or not, Horner was doing his due diligence, as any crew boss ought to do. He would have sought James Vowles’s opinions on Colapinto, and established an understanding of what phrases Williams is looking for. Would the crew permit him to go away completely or successfully on mortgage, and crucially for the way a lot? Horner may use the data to know the market worth for a sizzling commodity that comes with profitable sponsorship.
Nevertheless, that got here earlier than the race in what was a depressing consequence for the Williams driver, who crashed out to trigger the pink flag.
Against this, Liam Lawson within the RB had a strong race and completed ninth after being circled by Oscar Piastri. Whereas rookies corresponding to Oliver Bearman and Colapinto, and different extra skilled drivers, had a torrid time, Lawson barely put a wheel fallacious in what was solely his eighth F1 race and added extra factors to these he scored on his 2024 debut in Austin.
Sure, he tangled with Perez in Mexico, and had it not been one other Pink Bull driver, presumably would have been given a pat on the again by Horner for getting his elbows out.
In the identical means, he stood up for himself and against criticism from Fernando Alonso in Austin, which additionally didn’t dissuade Pink Bull. In truth, it’s understood that it was supporting Lawson’s rebuttal to the two-time F1 world champion.
Colapinto is an thrilling expertise who brings sponsorship and a fan base, however he stays an unknown amount as his race at Interlagos proved. However Pink Bull is aware of all about Lawson.
After which there’s the Kiwi’s ultimate asset – and arguably an important issue that would see him substitute Perez. It’s the reality he’s popular with the Verstappens, the importance of which can’t be understated.
Liam Lawson, RB F1 Staff VCARB 01, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB20
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
After Lawson’s drive in Sao Paulo, Jos Verstappen mentioned on TV: “I feel Lawson is doing very effectively. It appears logical to me that he’s able to step up. Let him end this season and construct confidence after which the crew has to resolve what they do for subsequent 12 months.”
It was a ringing endorsement from somebody who not often has one thing optimistic to say.
Pink Bull’s modus operandi has been to get the perfect out of Verstappen by preserving him comfortable, and the indications are that for the meantime at the least, he and his father would help Lawson being on the opposite aspect of the storage.
If Pink Bull agrees, then it may finally spell the top of Perez’s time with the crew, which may bump him to RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Alternatively, with no different obtainable seats on the grid for 2025, maybe it may even result in an early retirement – ought to Colapinto be part of RB from Williams.