F1 News: Christian Horner Confirms Sergio Perez's Red Bull Future For 2024
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has confirmed that Sergio Perez aka Checo will not be replaced before the end of his contract meaning he is to race for the team until the end of next year. Not only that, he also revealed that Checo may continue with Red Bull beyond 2024 if he continued to 'deliver.'
This might come as a relief for Perez considering the rumours and speculations that were doing the rounds as a result of his underperformance and also considering the sudden decisions that Red Bull takes pertaining to its drivers. While on the other hand, his teammate Max Verstappen has been leading the championship, winning the last eight races of the season!
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The pressure on Perez might have doubled after the sudden sacking of AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries on performance grounds. He was replaced by Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo who previously never hesitated to say that he'd like to retire from the sport after racing for Red Bull again.
However, Horner has brushed aside the anticipation of Perez being replaced anytime soon. Speaking to Speedcafe on the current scenario with Perez, he said:
“We have a contract.
"We’re happy with Checo and he will be our driver next year.
"But for us, it’s always good to have… the whole purpose of AlphaTauri and Toro Rosso before was to be training drivers as potential candidates for Red Bull Racing.
"That’s why, with Nyck, it didn’t feel like he was going to be a Red Bull Racing candidate, so then the argument you put is, does it make sense to keep going?”
Horner also said that Red Bull may extend Perez's contract if he delivers as per their expectations. If not, then they won't be just looking at AlphaTauri drivers for a suitable replacement but also other potential drivers who "would like to drive a Red Bull car." He said:
“I mean, Max is fixed till ’28. Checo’s contract runs the end of next year.
"If he, if Checo delivers, we’ll keep going with Checo. If he doesn’t, for whatever reason, then it’s… but that won’t be just restricted to AlphaTauri drivers, because there’s an awful lot of drivers up and down the pit lane that would like to drive a Red Bull car."
When asked if Ricciardo would be too old to be considered a Red Bull driver for 2025, Horner dismissed the notion stating that age was not a barrier. That leaves the Red Bull doors open for the Australian driver. He said:
“I don’t see age as a barrier.
"When I see what Fernando Alonso is doing, and Lewis Hamilton. It’s all about what’s up here [in the mind] that counts.”
Despite Perez's future being sealed with Red Bull until the end of next year, I think his performance during the rest of the 2023 season would be a big deciding factor for his future.
