Formula 1 journalist Ben Anderson believes Sergio Perez is “too damaged” from his time alongside Max Verstappen to be as serious option for Alpine, who currently have two available seats for 2025.
Perez, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are all without a contract as things stand for 2025, with this summer’s silly season set to be the silliest of them all.
Sticking with Checo, the Mexican driver has spent the last three seasons with Red Bull, after replacing Alex Albon who has since rejuvenated his F1 career.
Whilst the 33-year-old has been an excellent second driver for the Milton Keynes-based side, his inconsistent performances make him a liability, should Red Bull face fierce competition this year.
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Because of how often he’s significantly slower than Verstappen, the general expectation is that he won’t be given a new deal at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.
Most rumours suggest that ex-Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo will complete a famous return to the Austrians, the side he left for Renault at the end of 2018.
Renault have, of course, since rebranded as Alpine and are a potential option for Perez for next year.
As mentioned, the Enstone-based side do currently have two available seats for 2025 and are realistically the most competitive option on the grid for Perez.
Mercedes and McLaren both have their drivers under contract until at least the end of 2025, whilst Oscar Piastri is tied to the Woking-based outfit until the end of 2026.
Ferrari do technically have two seats available for next year, although it’s widely expected that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be retained.
The same can be said for Aston Martin, with Fernando Alonso rumoured to be keen on extending his stint with the British manufacturer beyond this year.
As for Lance Stroll’s seat, it’ll presumably be unavailable as long as his father continues to own the Silverstone-based team.
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So, would Alpine be a good home for Perez?
Anderson isn’t convinced the French side should be looking to hire the Mexican driver’s services, because of the toll racing for Red Bull has had on him.
“I honestly think [Sergio] Perez is too damaged by his experience at Red Bull to be considered the right option there,” Anderson said on The Race F1 Podcast, as reported by F1 Oversteer.