Despite an inconsistent performance in the early part of the season, Red Bull decided at the beginning of summer to extend Sergio Perez’s contract for another two years, pushing the expiration date, originally set for the end of this season, to 2026.
The Milton Keynes team aimed to relieve pressure from the Mexican driver’s shoulders, hoping he would regain the form he showed during the early races and contribute significantly in terms of constructors’ points.
However, as has become evident in recent months, the situation for the Guadalajara native has worsened, bringing him very close to dismissal at the beginning of the summer break.
Once again, Christian Horner wanted to renew confidence in Checo at least until the end of the season, but the poor performance in the last races, particularly during the home race in Mexico, has now put a damper on his hopes of retaining his seat in 2025.
An Untouchable Contract
However, according to Damon Hill, Sergio Perez can still sleep relatively peacefully despite strong rumors about a possible imminent departure.
“I had a chat with his manager at the last race I attended, and I believe they feel very secure having a bulletproof contract,” said the former English driver on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“The question is: what happened to Checo? Why is he so far off? I don’t understand. I don’t understand what he’s doing, what’s going on in his head or in the garage; I don’t know. Contracts are one thing, but sooner or later there comes a time when they have to do what they have to do.”
“It’s very difficult,” added the 1996 world champion. “I experienced it myself. It’s a very peculiar thing when you can’t find what you’re looking for, and it’s also very hard if you’re in a team where the focus is not necessarily on solving your problem. There are bigger fish to fry, so his situation worsens. I feel sorry for Checo. I’m sure they would like to have someone who can support Max in a battle. Max won’t want a teammate who bothers him. So these two things need to be weighed against each other.” – he pointed out.
“Yuki Tsunoda must be wondering why [he doesn’t get the seat]? The fact is that Liam has come back from his forced break and has shown he can perform very quickly. He’s already made some enemies, and one of them is the person who could replace him.” – Damon Hill concluded.
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