In the wake of Daniel Ricciardo’s recent appointment to AlphaTauri, Formula 1 pundit Ted Kravitz has raised concerns about Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull, stating that the Mexican driver should meticulously review his contract to ensure his position is secure.
Red Bull put an end to the speculation surrounding Ricciardo’s potential return by confirming that the Australian would replace Nyck de Vries at their junior team, with Ricciardo set to compete as early as the upcoming race in Hungary.
Unfortunately for de Vries, the announcement spelled the end of his Formula 1 career, as the 28-year-old was dismissed rather than being demoted to a reserve driver role.
While de Vries bears the immediate brunt of the decision, Kravitz suggests that it could be Perez who faces a similar fate next season, with mounting pressure to retain his race seat.
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Although Perez started the current season strongly, securing two victories in the first four races, he has since failed to qualify within the top ten on five consecutive occasions after his pole position in the Miami Grand Prix.
Despite driving the most competitive car on the grid, Perez has only managed to reach the podium once, leaving him 99 points adrift of his teammate Max Verstappen in the World Championship race.
The points accrued by Perez’s second-place finishes may be the only factor keeping him in his seat, as Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, explained: “We really want to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship too.
“If we change drivers, the points are gone, so for us, it’s not even an issue.”
However, this does not guarantee Perez’s future with the team, as Red Bull’s driver contracts are reportedly with the company rather than the individual team.
Ted Kravitz, a pit lane reporter for Sky Sports, believes that Perez should thoroughly examine his contract to ensure its stability.
When asked if he thought Ricciardo had his sights set on Perez’s seat, Kravitz responded, “Yes, it does. I think it makes Sergio Perez check the terms of his contract to see if it’s as leaky as Nyck de Vries’ contract with Red Bull obviously was, and worry about whether Ricciardo is coming back.”
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Kravitz also raises doubts about Ricciardo’s ability to outperform Perez while driving for AlphaTauri.
He questions whether Ricciardo will be able to deliver the necessary results to displace Perez, stating, “This whole plan of coming back could be scuppered by being no quicker than Yuki Tsunoda on a not-so-good AlphaTauri.
“But certainly, if he can score points on debut and transform a car, then this will be a valuable evaluation of how much is the car and how much is the driver.”