After yet another disappointing race in Belgium, Sergio Perez has once again shut down speculations about his Red Bull future. However, team advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that a meeting will take place shortly to discuss and review their driver lineup options going into 2025.
Speaking to the media after the race, the #11 driver consistently maintained that he and the team are fully committed to the future. The Mexican-born racing driver started on the front row for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
However, he could not find the pace to keep up with the front-runners. In the end, he crossed the chequered flag in P8. He was, however, promoted to seventh because of George Russell’s disqualification.
It was speculated that the Belgian GP was the deadline for Perez to convince Red Bull to retain him. He has, however, rubbished those suggestions.
With Sergio Pérez’s future at Red Bull Racing hanging in the balance, Helmut Marko discussed his fall from 2nd to 8th (before George Russell’s disqualification) in the #F1 #BelgianGP.
A meeting is taking place tomorrow for what’s the plan into Zandvoort and beyond. pic.twitter.com/DqRUFJPJ0S
— Pit Debrief (@PitDebrief) July 28, 2024
He said, “I’ve said it before, I don’t think I’ll be responding anymore to any future speculations. I’m here with the team fully committed.” Marko, on the other hand, has revealed (as quoted on Twitter (now X)) that the team will evaluate its options.
“Well, our situation is such that we will also review the overall situation for 2025. We have several drivers, and we need to have a concept. But of course, for Sergio, every result is crucial, and finishing eighth from a start position of second, is certainly not what we expected,” Marko said.
Perez now sits more than 100 points off Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. With a sustained run of poor form, the likes of Daniel Ricciardo have become increasingly linked to that second Red Bull seat come 2025.
Ricciardo met Christian Horner after the Belgian GP
Ricciardo has made his intentions of being in that second Red Bull seat well-known. Going into the Hungarian GP weekend, the #3 driver had said, “Coming into Budapest, these could be two very important races. Going up [to Red Bull] is my dream.”
Daniel Ricciardo was seen talking to Christian Horner and Laurent Mekies after the race
[@DAZN_ES] pic.twitter.com/iQhwIbvzZg
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 28, 2024
With the Australian impressing with a ninth-place finish in Belgium, he has made a compelling case for himself. After the race, he was then also spotted having a discussion with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and V-CARB team principal Laurent Mekies.
Such a meeting with the two team bosses will only add to the ongoing speculations that Ricciardo is perhaps the favorite to replace Perez.
