By Joe Murphy
After his third podium of the season, Sergio Perez updated fans about his current contract situation with Red Bull. The Mexican has come second in three out of the four races this season, playing literal second fiddle to teammate and Championship leader Max Verstappen in all the races the Dutchman has finished this campaign so far.
After a strong performance in Japan, Checo gave an indication as to when he will have an answer to his longer term future. He suggested that within the next month, he will know where he will be racing next year.
It is difficult to read into this as it could be taken in many different ways. Albon and Ricciardo were two names considered to replace Checo, but the Mexican has had a far better season than the pair of them, being the near-perfect pawn in Red Bull’s game. Whilst Red Bull would have hoped he would have done better in Australia, he has been otherwise impressive.
Nevertheless, Carlos Sainz has arguably been one of the drivers of the season, and he currently faces the prospect of being off the grid entirely in less than ten months.
A one-year contract extention makes the most sense. This would take the partnership that has been so fruitful over the last few years, right up to the new era where new regulations come in for 2026. You also have to start to consider where Checo would then go if he was deemed surplus to requirements. Would a switch to Mercedes be on the table? Or a return to the Aston Martin franchise to replace a departing Stroll or Alonso? Perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves.
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