The speculations surrounding the future of Sergio Perez continue with the Mexican’s constant failure to live up to the expectations of the team. Even though Red Bull have confirmed that the 33-year-old will stay with them for the 2024 season, there are some F1 experts who believe that he could still be sacked. F1 expert Lawrence Barretto (as quoted by RBR Daily) believes that Daniel Ricciardo is the favorite to replace the $10,000,000 earning Perez. If that happens, Barreto believes that Liam Lawson will then land the second seat at AlphaTauri.
The pressure has been increasing on the former Racing Point driver because of how far back he finds himself as compared to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. Despite having the fastest car on the grid, Perez has just managed to register two wins this season. In stark contrast, the Dutchman has won 13.
Will Daniel Ricciardo replace Sergio Perez?
Daniel Ricciardo delighted F1 fans around the world after he made his return to the grid with AlphaTauri a few months ago. However, his return was cut short after he injured his wrist following a nasty crash during the second practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix.
🚨 As per @lawrobarretto Daniel Ricciardo is the favoured option to replace Checo mid-season in 2024 or at the end of 2024 if required
[@F1] pic.twitter.com/qOtqFRGYI9
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) September 30, 2023
Even though the Australian has just competed in two full race weekends since his return, F1 expert Lawrence Barretto believes he is the favorite to replace Sergio Perez. The F1 expert believes that the 34-year-old could replace the Mexican in midseason next year or at the end of the season.
After stating the same, Barretto noted that if that happens, then Liam Lawson could replace Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. Since the pressure is on Perez, the least he will need to do to prove himself is to clinch second in the world championship this season.
Perez will hope to beat Hamilton and Alonso to second
As things stand in the Drivers’ Championship, Sergio Perez is currently second with 223 points. Even though he has a comfortable 33-point lead over third-placed Lewis Hamilton and another 16 points over fourth-placed Fernando Alonso, he still cannot afford to take anything lightly.
This is because as Perez continues to lose ground, Hamilton has been making steady gains. The Briton scored a crucial 10 points at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, a race in which the Mexican failed to score any points because of his multiple incidents.
