The uncertainty surrounding Sergio Perez’s future continues as the 34-year-old’s contract with Red Bull runs out at the end of the 2024 season. Last year, many experts suggested that Daniel Ricciardo could replace Perez if the Mexican continued to perform poorly. However, with Perez having registered consecutive second-place finishes in the first two races of the 2024 season, F1 expert David Croft believes that the driver from Guadalajara is likely to keep his place if he continues to perform in this fashion.
Speaking about the same, Croft told Fox Sports Australia, “Sergio in the first two races of the season has done what he’s asked to do and that’s you know if Max is winning, be second and if Max has a problem, be first. That’s his job for this year. So if he carries on doing that, they’ll keep him.”
Daniel Ricciardo is one of the drivers who has been eyeing a seat at Red Bull since last year. After returning to the grid as a replacement for Nyck de Vries, the Honey Badger mentioned that he wishes to return to the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
However, based on how Ricciardo has been performing currently, Croft believes that the 34-year-old isn’t the favorite. The F1 expert believes that Ricciardo’s greed of wanting to return to Red Bull is adding extra pressure on him. That pressure is likely to only increase for Ricciardo at his home race this weekend in Australia.
Moreover, Croft believes that Ricciardo is not only under pressure if he wants to get that second seat at Red Bull, but also if he wants to keep his place at Visa Cash App RB. The expert believes that with the likes of Liam Lawson available, Ricciardo needs to deliver if he wants to keep hold of his seat.
Sergio Perez brings more than just his racecraft to Red Bull
Apart from his on-track performances, Sergio Perez also holds another edge over Daniel Ricciardo. Even though the Australian is relatively more popular than Perez in the United States and most of the world, that doesn’t always do justice in terms of commercial values.
This was something David Croft pointed out as he mentioned how important is Perez in helping Red Bull capture the South American market. Since Perez is from Mexico, he is an outstanding brand ambassador for the company in these regions.
Excellent race; it’s unfortunate about the penalty, yet another great 1-2 finish for the team and solid start to the season. Time to take a short break and set our focus on Australia.
Carrera excelente; una lastima la penalización, pero otro gran 1-2 para el equipo. Muy buen… pic.twitter.com/KKYOZ9q85c
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) March 9, 2024
Although Perez brings immense commercial value to Red Bull, it is still important for the team that he continues to deliver. Croft believes that even if Perez is unable to match Max Verstappen, the 34-year-old still needs to finish at least second to keep his seat at Red Bull. As things stand, Perez seems to be meeting expectations.
