“There’s literally no reason to not give Checo another contract!”- Red Bull chief confirms that Max Verstappen’s 2023 teammate will be decided before the summer break

Helmut Marko confirmed that the decision as to who will partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2023 will be made before the summer break. 

When it comes to choosing form a pool of talented drivers, Red Bull have a long list. Their junior program has involved some of the best talents in F1, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.

Verstappen has been in Red Bull since 2016, and it does not look like he’ll be leaving any time soon. He recently signed a contract that will keep him in the Austrian team until the 2028 season. The second seat however, is something that a lot of drivers wish to fill.

Sergio Perez has been Verstappen’s teammate since 2021. He went off to a slow start, but has since recovered. In particular, his recent performances have led to people believing that the Mexican will sign a contract extension.

Red Bull on the other hand, haven’t made any decision. Their advisor Helmut Marko insisted that they’re considering multiple options, including re-signing Pierre Gasly.

Also read: “I belong with Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell and Norris” – Pierre Gasly feels he deserves a position at the top of the grid

F1 fans want Sergio Perez to continue as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull

Gasly has been great at AlphaTauri over the last two seasons. However, Perez does look well suited to the team. Unless the Guadalajara born driver falls into any major slump in the coming few months, it’s unlikely that Red Bull would look elsewhere.

“We will make a decision before the summer holidays about who will be Max’s teammate in 2023,” Marko said. “Pierre has a contract until the end of 2023, so we still have some time. As always, at Red Bull, it’s about performance”.

Gasly on the other hand may turn to other F1 teams in order to make bigger strides. The Red Bull junior programme has a long list of talented drivers ready to pounce on an opportunity.

The likes of Yuki Tsunoda, Juri Vips and Liam Lawson are all young talented drivers who are highly ranked by Helmut Marko. If need be, any of them could be given the shot, either at Red Bull or at AlphaTauri.

However, when it comes to choosing a teammate for Max Verstappen, it’s widely believed that it’s going to be choice between Perez and Gasly.

Also read: “Red Bull may have very well saved his F1 career”- Yuki Tsunoda explains why he stopped shouting on his radio messages while driving