The coming weekend at Spa promises high stakes for several Formula One drivers, none more so than Sergio Perez.
Traditionally, this final race before the summer break is when teams evaluate and plan their future lineups. Currently, Sergio Perez sits at the center of uncertainty, especially after his early season form dipped despite showing some improvements in Hungary.
George Russell expressed surprise at Perez’s performance in Budapest, noting, “His pace was surprisingly good, to be honest. Following his recent form, we didn’t expect to be in a fight with him.” Perez climbed from P16 to P7, finishing two slots behind Verstappen.
However, with McLaren closing in on Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, a couple of strong showings might not be enough to secure Perez’s seat for the rest of the season. Reports indicate that Red Bull can terminate Perez’s contract if his points tally falls over 100 points behind his teammate by August. Currently, the gap is 141 points.
Ditching Perez could cost Red Bull financially. Severance would reportedly cost about $5 million, and finishing second to McLaren in the team competition could add another $10 million loss.
Moreover, Red Bull would lose significant sponsorship deals from Perez’s backers like Disney and Telcel, adding up to a potential $30 million loss. Balancing these losses, Red Bull must consider the cost of Perez’s numerous crashes this year, which have already reached around $3 million.
Yet, the team’s focus remains on securing their seventh team championship, putting them just one title behind Mercedes. However, internal politics between Christian Horner and Dr. Helmut Marko add another layer of complexity to the decision surrounding Perez.
There were concerns about Red Bull splitting into two divisions early this season. However, recent performances have somewhat balanced the competition, with Haas F1 and other teams sometimes outperforming Aston Martin.
As Spa looms, the decision Red Bull makes regarding Sergio Perez could significantly impact both their financial and competitive standings for this season and beyond.
