Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko has hinted a huge announcement regarding Sergio Perez’s future with the team is imminent.
Marko’s statement comes in light of a tumultuous season for the Mexican driver who has struggled significantly during the latter half of the 2024 F1 campaign, raising speculation as fans and analysts await the confirmation of Red Bull’s 2025 F1 driver line-up.
The uncertainty surrounding Sergio Perez‘s future comes amid a dismal performance this season which has been a focal point of discussion, particularly given his inability to maintain the momentum he built at the start of the year.
After a strong beginning where he secured podium finishes in four of the first five races, his form took a nosedive. From the Dutch Grand Prix onward, Perez managed to accumulate only 21 points across ten races, which is a stark contrast to his teammate Max Verstappen’s impressive tally of victories.
The decline in performance also contributed to the team’s third place finish in the Constructors’ Championship—its lowest placement since 2019—sparking widespread criticism over Red Bull’s 2025 F1 driver line-up.
In his regular column for Speedweek, Marko addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding Sergio Perez’s future, stating, “We will be announcing news on the driver pairing for next year in the next few days.”
The context of this announcement is critical. Earlier this year, Red Bull extended Perez’s contract through 2026, hoping that this stability would motivate him to perform better.
However, with his recent lackluster results and mounting pressure from within the team and external sources, including speculation about possible replacements like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull is now reconsidering its options.
Helmut Marko’s comments suggest that while Perez technically remains under contract, the team is exploring all avenues to ensure they have a competitive lineup moving forward.
The backdrop to these discussions includes a meeting held shortly after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Red Bull’s leadership convened to determine Sergio Perez’s future while assessing their options moving forward.
Moreover, Marko has dismissed rumours regarding potential financial penalties or buyouts associated with terminating Perez’s contract. These suggestions were fueled by comments made by Nico Rosberg to Sky F1 in Abu Dhabi.
“The rumours suggest that he’s on his way out, but he hasn’t confirmed it yet, because he does have a contract apparently for next year,” Rosberg said at Yas Marina.
“And we’ve heard rumours it’s around 16 million there at play. He wants his money at least, so he’s not going to go away that easily. And I think there’s a bit of lawyer discussions going on at the moment.”
Marko labeled the 2016 F1 world champion’s speculation as “complete nonsense,” indicating that while discussions are ongoing, they are not necessarily tied to exorbitant financial settlements.
The 81-year old said: “There’s a lot of speculation about this, including rumours about possible transfer fees, which are complete nonsense.”
Reports earlier on suggested that while Perez cannot be outright dismissed due to contractual obligations, there are discussions about transitioning him into a different role within the team—potentially an ambassadorial position similar to what Daniel Ricciardo experienced after leaving McLaren.
However, Helmut Marko’s comments hint the team is probably done with the Mexican driver for good.
The impending announcement regarding Perez’s future comes after Yuki Tsunoda got his first opportunity to drive for Red Bull in last week’s Abu Dhabi post-season test. The Japanese driver was pleased with how easy it was to adapt to the RB20, even if he didn’t set any headline-grabbing times.
Marko praised Tsunoda for his efforts, revealing that the team was satisfied with his technical feedback.
“Yuki was allowed onto the track with the RB20 during the post-season test and the team was happy with his technical feedback,” Marko added. “In this respect, he is much better than what is said about him.”
