Helmut Marko Hints at Sergio Perez's Red Bull Departure Despite Resistance from F1 Rights Holder

With predictions spreading that Sergio Perez will lose his Red Bull seat over the summer break, team head Christian Horner has assured that this is not the case but is it?

By Blesson Daniel

Published on Jul 31, 2024 | 10:27 PM IST | 53.4K

Sergio Perez [Credit-Instagram@schecoperez]

Red Bull will not make any changes over the balance of the 2024 season. Their team meeting earlier this week concluded with the assurance that Sergio Perez would remain with them and Daniel Ricciardo would continue at RB. The same sequence cannot be assured for 2025.

Helmut Marko stated that "the cards will be reshuffled" next year. This implies that, while Perez now has the opportunity to redeem himself in the final ten races of 2024, he will need to put in his best efforts to produce performances that will persuade Marko and Red Bull to keep him even next year.

Meanwhile, Ricciardo will be left dissatisfied. After the Belgian Grand Prix, he appeared pleased, which many assumed was due to his belief that he would join Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Ricciardo was seen leaving the paddock with Verstappen's helmet and a smile.

But it's not finished for him either. According to Marko, if Ricciardo has a successful end to the 2024 season, he may be able to return to Red Bull Racing. Perez must significantly underperform to achieve this, given his presence at Red Bull is critical to the company's commercial success.

Red Bull doesn’t want Mexican fans to drop their revenue

Christian Horner wants Ricciardo to drive for Red Bull. However, various sources, including Motorsport, stated that Liberty Media (the owners of Formula One) requested the Milton Keynes-based team to keep Perez.

The 34-year-old is enormously popular in his native Mexico and throughout Latin America. And, with the Mexican GP still in place, Perez's removal might result in a drop in ticket and merchandising sales.

As a result, if Perez continues to progress, he is very guaranteed to return to Red Bull in 2025. This decision also raises questions about Liam Lawson's future.

Because of the sport's global prominence, the Formula One circus produces significant income each year. Liberty Media, F1's commercial rights holder, aims to ensure that revenues continue to rise.

According to the F1 Insider article, Liberty Media has met with Red Bull to rethink Perez's departure, who is a prominent figure at the Mexican Grand Prix every year. Liberty Media was concerned that getting rid of Perez would result in a significant loss in income for F1 during the race in Mexico.

The New Zealander was expected to replace Ricciardo at RB if the Honey Badger left for Red Bull. Now, Lawson must wait to see if Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda leave RB, or he may go elsewhere to secure a place for the 2019 season. This means that Red Bull has decided to break ways with Perez at some point in the future, maybe in 2025.

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