F1 complained about a boring 2024 silly season, and the racing gods answered. Amid all the movements and contract extension announcements, Red Bull sits in the eye of the storm with the responsibility of three seats. Finally, it looks like there are some hints regarding the future of Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and even Carlos Sainz.
For the sake of convenience, it is safe to assume Max Verstappen isn’t going anywhere. In F1, there is no smoke without fire, so there is still a slight possibility of some whack mid-season bombshell announcing the end of his act with Red Bull.
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However, for Red Bull’s sanity, let’s imagine otherwise. First, the team is getting one big player out of the way: Sainz. The Ferrari race winner is waiting for a good team, but Milton Keynes has shut the door on him.
This is all because Sergio Perez is wetting his pen to sign a new contract with the team. Motorsport-total reports that Perez has finally impressed Red Bull authorities with Christian Horner saying, “The interest in our cars is very great, as you can imagine. But for us, Checo is a priority.”
It is likely to be a one-year extension with an announcement coming in the following weeks. Finally, after all the scrutiny, Perez refused to crack under pressure and Red Bull decided to reward him for it.
Red Bull B-team repercussions
With Perez and Sainz out of the way, the main team seems to be locked in for the 2025 season. And so two seats remain at V-CARB. However, it is important to note how Perez’s confirmation makes waves in this team.
Both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo had their names in the hat for that seat beside Verstappen. Now, there are already reports stating Tsunoda is out of contention for the seat. Horner too stated that the team has other options besides the Aussie. While disappointing for both drivers, it is believed that they will retain their seats in V-CARB for 2025.
Maybe 2026 will bring some hope and open new possibilities for the second seat. Now, coming back to Verstappen leaving [if at all] – who could replace him?
