A bit of mystery surrounds the second seat at Red Bull… these are Helmut Marko’s words about Perez: “We’ll see after the break.”
The driver market in Formula 1 continues to surprise. After Mercedes reignited Carlos Sainz’s hopes of joining Russell, there’s now a possibility that Daniel Ricciardo might replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2025 if the Mexican driver doesn’t improve his performance.
Red Bull’s sporting director, Helmut Marko, stated a week ago: “RB is a junior team, where we develop drivers.” The late founder of the company, Dietrich Mateschitz, created the sister team of Red Bull with this mission: Christian Horner also supports this vision, giving a clear direction to the team in Faenza.
Lawson in F1 in 2025, Perez’s renewal is not a certainty
This means that Liam Lawson is almost certain to secure a spot in Red Bull’s junior team. However, for Daniel Ricciardo, a longtime protégé of Horner, the final word is yet to be said: according to internal sources at Red Bull, reported by AMuS, “The Honey Badger” still has a chance to secure the seat next to Max Verstappen, a spot that seemed guaranteed for Sergio Perez after his renewal. Despite the contract, there seem to be no guarantees.
Both Ricciardo and Perez are subject to strict performance clauses. If Ricciardo continues the positive trend shown recently at Silverstone, Budapest, and Spa, and if Perez does not significantly improve, the eight-time GP winner could take the Mexican’s place in 2025. Marko responded to this speculation with a hint of mystery: “We’ll know more after the summer break…”
Sainz in Red Bull? An unlikely scenario
Who is certain not to join Red Bull is former Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz: there is no good blood between the Spanish driver’s family and Verstappen’s family. This is why Red Bull seems unwilling to add more tension in such a delicate moment: previously, Perez’s position seemed secure, but now Ricciardo appears to be the only candidate for a dramatic replacement of the Mexican driver.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, Oracle Red Bull Racing
