RB finally decided to part ways with Daniel Ricciardo on September 26, after weeks of speculation surrounding the Aussie’s departure. Another driver whose future has also been in doubt for some time is Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
Now that the Red Bull (RB’s parent team) management has taken a bold call to part ways with Ricciardo, former driver David Coulthard believes that Perez could also face the same fate. Speaking the Channel 4, Coulthard said, “If Sergio Perez doesn’t score good points regularly for the rest of the year, he will suffer the same fate as Daniel Ricciardo“.
The main reason Perez’s future in F1 is under threat is his significant underperformance compared to his three-time champion teammate, Max Verstappen. With six races remaining, Perez (144 points) finds himself a staggering 187 points behind the Dutchman (331 points).
Perez’s underperformance has also played a role in Red Bull losing ground to McLaren in the Championship standings. If he doesn’t step up and improve his performance, he could very well face the same fate as Ricciardo, as David Coulthard has suggested.
The paddock won’t be quite the same without Daniel Ricciardo #F1 pic.twitter.com/Z4OY454Oab
— Crash.net – Formula 1 (@CRASH_NET_F1) September 27, 2024
Ricciardo replaced the struggling Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri (now RB) midway through last season, with the expectation that he would lead the Faenza-based outfit. However, instead of taking on a leadership role, he significantly underperformed compared to his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
The Australian only managed to score 12 points in 2024, while Tsunoda has collected 22 so far. Red Bull’s decision to sack Ricciardo with just six races left in the season highlights their ruthless approach. This is precisely why Perez urgently needs to improve his performance if he hopes to retain his seat.
Perez wants to end his career on his terms
Despite all the noise about his future, Perez seems unconcerned. Instead, he has stated that he wants to reach a level of performance that helps him finish his career on his terms. While speaking to DAZN, he said,
“I want to finish my career when I want and not when someone tells me. That’s my main focus: to get to the point where I can decide my future“.
Although the Mexican wants to finish his career on his terms, he has revealed he does not expect to stay in F1 for much longer. He stated that with the calendar constantly expanding, he may not race in the sport for more than two years.
