Helmut Marko has dismissed rumours that Sergio Perez is facing a pay cut as “rubbish.”
The Mexican racer fell 125 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen in the Driver Standings after the Belgian GP.
It is reported this is the exact point difference that would enable Red Bull to trigger a clause, cutting Perez’s pay due to ‘relative underperformance.’
Many F1 drivers have been linked to replacing Perez once his contract expires at the end of 2024 – and possibly even before then.
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Daniel Ricciardo is a strong candidate having been reintroduced to Formula 1, joining AlphaTauri midway through the 2023 season.
Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda has also impressed senior Red Bull staff during his two-year stint at the team’s junior outfit.
The fact that Perez has fallen so far short of his Dutch teammate plays a large part in the speculation surrounding his position – and now his wages.
However, Marko dismissed the pay cut rumours when speaking to Sport1.
The Austrian said: “I don’t know where that’s coming from. It’s completely out of thin air.
“The contracts are strictly regulated. There will be no pay cuts.”
Marko added that, even if the pay cut clause existed, it would not be enforced especially in light of Perez’s recent performances.
The Mexican driver secured a second-place finish at the Belgian GP and a podium finish at the Hungarian GP last month.
Perez recently took to social media to address the constant scrutiny surrounding his job.
He teamed up with the Mexican tourism board in an advert emphasising that he “doesn’t know how to quit.”
On Twitter, he wrote: “We know how to set the course for Mexico with pride, identity and our foot on the accelerator.”
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Marko further remarked: “Perez was in a bit of a crisis, but he got the curve back in the last two races.
“Verstappen is just unbeatable at the moment.
“Perez can’t do it but neither can any other driver. We have no reason to think about measures that affect Perez.”