Sergio Perez has received significant hope of retaining his Red Bull Formula 1 seat in 2025 thanks to the arrival of additional sponsors, according to a report.
Perez’s future has been the source of constant speculation amid his downward spiralling form in 2024.
First, it was rumoured he wouldn’t make it beyond the summer break, then that he’d announce his retirement in Mexico and even more so speculation links him with an early severance of a multi-year contract extension at the end of this campaign.
Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and even Franco Colapinto are all lurking like sharks in blood-infested water to poach the Mexican’s Red Bull drive for 2025.
However, according to Marca, Perez has brought with him new, additional sponsors for the 2025 campaign and has been given the go-ahead by Red Bull Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner to start merchandising with them for next year.
This would prove to be a strong indication that Perez has retained his seat, despite only returning 19 points in the seven rounds post-summer break.
Amid adversity, a defiant Perez told the press ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix: “You will see me in Vegas; you will see me next year. I’m not the one that worries about it.”
It goes without saying that Perez’s commercial impact is a big reason why he is still at Red Bull.
He’s a significant draw through merchandise and ticket sales in the Latin American community and the vast majority of the record 404,958 fans attending across the Mexico City GP weekend were there for one man, and one man only.
It’s reported his commercial backing, in part boosted by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, pays for Perez’s salary and beyond.
Red Bull face ‘difficult decisions’ regarding Perez
A damning indictment on Perez is the chasm between him and Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings.
Verstappen is on the verge of a fourth successive F1 Drivers’ title having amassed 393 points from 21 rounds.
Perez, meanwhile, has just 151 points and sits eighth in the standings and his poor tally is largely to blame for Red Bull slipping to third in the Constructors’ Championship.
As Verstappen romped from 17th to first in a wet Sao Paulo GP, Perez went from 12th to 11th, finishing behind both RB drivers.
After the race, Horner was asked how Red Bull is assessing Perez’s future, to which he said: “I think everything in life is subjective and you’ve got to look at the facts.”
A dismal home GP the round before in Mexico City prompted further ominous quotes from Horner, who said: “There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made.”
The question remains whether Red Bull will make a sporting decision or a commercial one in relation to which driver partners Verstappen in the team in 2025.
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