Sergio Perez could not have asked for a worse home race at the recently concluded Mexican GP. The hopes of turning around a bad qualifying during the race came crashing down as he took an early five-second penalty for overshooting his starting spot. What further rubbed salt in Perez’s wounds was the collision with Liam Lawson, which seriously damaged his car.
His P17 finish saw even team boss Christian Horner seemingly pull out support. Horner hinted at cutting Perez loose by talking about the need for the team to see both its drivers score points. He assured to have given the Mexican all the support he could. However, Horner admitted, “There comes a point where there is not much more you can do.”
Sky Sports F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher has echoed a similar sentiment. The German believes Perez will not only not race for Red Bull in 2025 but his days in the 2024 season are limited as well. As per Schumacher, the Austrian team could sack Perez after the end of the upcoming Brazilian GP.
Gracias México, no fue nuestro fin de semana. Pero nunca nos vamos a dar por vencidos y el próximo año nos vemos para volver a intentarlo.
¡Me los llevo a todos en mi coche!❤️Thank you, Mexico. This wasn’t the weekend for us. I’ll never give up and I’ll try again next year.… pic.twitter.com/XrD6KAqv2X
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) October 28, 2024
Ran.de quoted him as saying on Sky Germany, “Next year [Perez] won’t drive a single metre in the car anyway, I’m pretty sure of that. I don’t even think he’ll finish the season. Red Bull will make a decision after this weekend. It all makes no sense anymore, not for either side.”
“Not even for Perez. The poor man is under so much pressure, he won’t go home beaming with joy. This is supposed to be fun.”
Schumacher also discussed the financial repercussions Red Bull will face if they finish third in the championship. To fight against Ferrari and regain the second spot in the standings, Schumacher feels the reigning champions need to act quickly.
Perez’s father drops retirement hint
Perez’s father, Antonio, is undoubtedly his biggest supporter. After a depressing result at his home race, Antonio Perez put out an emotional post on Instagram. In the caption, he recited his son’s tough journey into motorsport and how his grit made him one of the most recognizable Mexicans out there.
So… Perez’s dad just posted this on IG… #F1 #SergioPerez #RedBull pic.twitter.com/E5WnarPp5d
— MotorSportNotes (@motorsportnotes) October 29, 2024
The post comes amid the discussions over Perez’s future in F1. While the Red Bull exit looks inevitable, the chances of making it elsewhere look bleak as well. The only seat available for 2025 is at Sauber, who aren’t known to be interested in the #11 driver’s services.
The only hope for survival and keeping his seat finds its origins in Perez’s contract. As per former F1 driver Damon Hill, Perez’s manager assured him of a “watertight” contract. That, as per Hill, should see the six-time race winner sail the tide.
