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If reports in some German media are to be believed, Sergio Perez could be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull. It all hinges on the level of performance that the Mexican is able to put together, but it is highly likely that if Perez is not seen as the perfect supporting act for Max Verstappen, he will end up losing his seat.
Red Bull finds itself in a misery of its own creation. The team signed a contract extension with Perez for a whopping 2 more years just months ago. Doing so when the Mexican was not performing well raised eyebrows in the F1 world.
We have had a few races since then and Perez's showing has dragged the team's overall performance team down. He lacks the results that make his stay palatable within Red Bull. Having said that, should Ricciardo be the driver who replaces Perez? Red Bull would do well to approach the situation with caution.
Sergio Perez needs to go
First of all, let's get one thing straight: Sergio Perez, as a Red Bull driver, just doesn't work in the current situation. He would have done perfectly well if there weren't as many as 4 different teams within 2-3 tenths of a second on a weekend.
The problem with Perez's history in Red Bull is that in the four-year partnership with Max Verstappen, you can count on your fingers the number of times he's outpaced his teammate.
Even earlier in the season, when Perez was getting results and finishing P2 behind Verstappen, it was the result of a driver who had a much superior car to the competition. His results as compared to the Dutchman's were quite poor.
Now that we have as many as four different teams that are very close to each other, the best you can expect is a P8 finish from the driver. That's just not enough, and it's going to hurt the team in the constructors championship.
It has become clear that unless Red Bull has a major car advantage, Sergio Perez is not ideal for the role of the second driver.
Daniel Ricciardo has not convinced many with his performance
Now comes the question of the alternative, and Daniel Ricciardo has been one name that seems to be associated with the seat. Unfortunately, if we look at Ricciardo's 2024 F1 season, he's almost struggling to hold on to his place in the sport. As compared to Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo has not been that impressive and it's evident in the results.
At this stage, Ricciardo has not shown the kind of form or performance that warrants a seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. If Ricciardo cannot get the better of Tsunoda and is finding the RB01 tough to tame, what can we expect from him in a Red Bull that's notoriously hard to drive? For now, Ricciardo might not be the best choice, and even if the team wants to give him a shot, it needs to wait a few races before he can establish himself on the junior team.
Who is the alternative?
This is where Red Bull's lack of foresight may prove to be an issue. The team has not been diligent enough in preparing for an alternative if the Sergio Perez option doesn't work out.
The one driver they put their faith in was Daniel Ricciardo, who has not had a great run in F1 recently. The problem for Red Bull at this stage is that the team does not have a ready-to-replace alternative. Is Liam Lawson the right choice? Probably not, as the team has burned two young drivers in Gasly and Albon in the past.
Other than Lawson, Carlos Sainz has been ruled out, Esteban Ocon teaming up with Max Verstappen brings back memories of the 2014 F3 championship battle between the two, Valtteri Bottas is just not the best fit, and hence it leaves the team with few options.
What Red Bull needs to do
What Red Bull needs to do now is prepare a more long-term plan in terms of who gets to be Sergio Perez's replacement. In 2025 the market would once again open up a little and that would be a perfect time to target a few drivers.
The team could go for Oscar Piastri, a strong young driver, or it could even look at Ollie Bearman as an option if he impresses in his rookie season. What Christian Horner and his team need to do at this stage is to not make impulsive decisions. On the contrary, they need to focus on a more long-term plan for who teams up with Max Verstappen.
