'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Daniel Ricciardo, RB team principal Laurent Mekies, and Red Bull Racing's boss Christian Horner were seen chatting together after the Belgian GP. This conversation took place amid questions about Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull after the summer break.
Checo's 2024 F1 season got off to a great start. He bagged podiums in the first few races and kept up with his teammate, Max Verstappen, in the drivers' standings. But following the Miami GP, his on-track performance dipped and he fell down the championship standings. With just 131 points, he is presently seventh in the standings, way behind Verstappen, who leads with 277 points. The Mexican has not finished on the podium since May 2024.
His poor performance reignited rumors that Red Bull could fire him mid-season. According to a number of sources, the reigning world champions might replace the Mexican during the summer break after the Belgian GP. There are plenty of drivers under Red Bull's umbrella who could take Sergio Perez's spot. They have Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and even Liam Lawson ready on the sidelines.
In the Belgian GP itself, Sergio Perez was unable to stay close to the top of the grid. He started the race from P2 but tumbled down the order to finish at P7. Meanwhile, Verstappen started the race from P11 but managed to secure P4, ahead of Checo.
Following the Belgian GP, Christian Horner met with Laurent Mekies and Daniel Ricciardo for a chat. Their meetup was recorded by DAZN Espana and posted on their official X account. In the clip, both Ricciardo and Horner smiled at each other several times. In the end, the Honey Badger had a slight smile on his face as he left.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation whether Sergio Perez will be replaced by Red Bull mid-season or not.
Christian Horner reportedly backs Daniel Ricciardo as Sergio Perez's replacement at Red Bull
According to reports from Motorsport.com, Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, reckons Daniel Ricciardo would be the best to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
Following his departure from McLaren in 2022, Ricciardo made contact with Red Bull again after leaving the team in 2018. As a simulator driver for the Austrian giants, the Honey Badger aspired to be able to rejoin them on the grid. He replaced a struggling Nyck de Vries' in Red Bull's B squad, AlphaTauri (now RB) in 2023.
Even though Daniel Ricciardo is currently struggling to keep up with his RB teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, Motorsport.com reports that Horner feels the Australian is the right man to replace Sergio Perez.
After the Belgian GP, Ricciardo is in 13th place in the drivers' championship table with only 12 points. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez is in seventh place with 131 points. Red Bull's Max Verstappen continues to lead the championship with 277 points.
