Helmut Marko comment about Sergio Perez’s future is exactly why Red Bull must move on – Daniel Moxon

One other qualifying session, one other horror present for Sergio Perez on the Brazilian Grand Prix as his mission to avoid wasting his Crimson Bull Racing profession continues to run on fumes

A Crimson Bull failing to achieve the highest 10 in any qualifying session was once a serious headline. Now it’s the norm.

So there was barely an eyebrow raised when Sergio Perez suffered one more early exit on Friday. This time, he was qualifying for the Dash race on the Brazilian Grand Prix and should now discover a strategy to rating factors from thirteenth on the grid.

Loads scoffed final weekend when Checo’s father, Antonio Perez Garibay insisted he nonetheless believes his son “might be world champion”. A type of was Crimson Bull’s tremendous adviser Helmut Marko, who laughed as he mentioned he “honours his father’s optimism”.

Marko, together with group principal Christian Horner, has important sway over Crimson Bull’s driver selections. So it hardly bodes properly that he appears to have little religion within the Mexican’s probabilities of ever being a title contender.

Which begs the query: Why do Crimson Bull proceed to stick with a driver they don’t imagine in? In any case, a group with their ambitions ought to have two drivers on the books who might be championship contenders, identical to their major rivals McLaren do with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Marko additionally mentioned after final Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix – Perez’s house race by which he failed to hassle the highest 10 – that “the long run is unsure” for the 34-year-old. But, he nonetheless shares a storage with Max Verstappen in Brazil this weekend.

As is commonly the case in F1, funds have performed a big position. Crimson Bull is not going to bat an eyelid at the price of terminating Perez’s contract, which is lower than the £7million distinction in prize cash between first and second place within the constructors’ championship. However he does have some very rich sponsors, most notably Carlos Slim-owned Telmex which has already mentioned it is going to observe the Mexican ought to he go away Crimson Bull.

Plus, having already chosen to eliminate Daniel Ricciardo, Crimson Bull discover themselves wanting rapid alternate options. Liam Lawson is being groomed as Perez’s substitute however would want changing at sister group VCARB if that change have been made earlier than the tip of this season.

Isack Hadjar is subsequent in line from the motive force academy however the feeling amongst Crimson Bull chiefs is that he’s not prepared for Method 1, regardless of being a severe F2 title contender this 12 months. It has develop into clear that the group’s best choice is Franco Colapinto who has been very spectacular since stepping as much as F1 two months in the past, however they’ve but to strike a take care of Williams.

They want the Argentine till the tip of this marketing campaign however haven’t any room for him subsequent 12 months as Carlos Sainz has already been signed. It feels an increasing number of possible that Perez is not going to be on the 2025 grid – and should have misplaced his place sooner if Crimson Bull weren’t compelled to attend patiently for Colapinto.

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