End of Sergio Pérez’s F1 career according to Gabriel Bortoleto
Formula 2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto is convinced that Sergio Pérez will be ousted from his position at Red Bull due to his disappointing performance. For his part, he is seen as a potential candidate for a seat at Audi in 2026.
For some time now, rumors have been flying around the paddock. Despite an official confirmation from Red Bull’s officials, many people still believe that Sergio Pérez is in danger of losing his seat. Among this group is Formula 2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who thinks that it’s the end for the Mexican.
A driver himself competing for other teams
If Gabriel Bortoleto’s opinion may seem uninteresting, he may nevertheless be part of the next generation of Formula 1 drivers. Currently competing in Formula 2, he holds the second position in the championship at mid-season behind Isack Hadjar. Sergio Perez’s departure could therefore benefit Gabriel Bortoleto as much as other drivers on the grid. Unlike Sergio Perez’s good performances this year, the Brazilian has been able to show his talent and attract the curiosity of teams.
Among the long list of drivers who could join the top discipline by 2025, Gabriel Bortoleto seems like a serious candidate for Audi. Currently in the McLaren Academy, his arrival is not scheduled right away, which caught Audi’s attention. He has even confirmed the speculations about discussions he would have had with the German manufacturer. “It’s nice to be mentioned by someone from F1 because that’s where you want to end up. But let’s see what the future holds. I’m doing my best in F2, without difficulty, to be ready to move up to F1,” he told the media.
A strong opinion on Sergio Pérez
Despite the interest shown in him by other teams, there is extremely little chance that the Brazilian will join Red Bull in any way. Trailing in the championship behind Isack Hadjar, who is part of the Red Bull Academy, he will also have to wait for the verdict regarding Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda.
The Racing Bulls team, which is actually the team where Red Bull drivers are trained before joining the main team, already has several candidates. If Sergio Perez were to leave, and one of the Racing Bulls’ drivers gets promoted, it would be at Red Bull that the spot would be available. But for Gabriel Bortoleto, this departure will inevitably happen. “I think Perez will be out next year,” he said very honestly. “I don’t know if he has a contract, but with the results he has, he’s out.”
In mid-season, Sergio Pérez has only managed to climb to the front positions in the race a few times. These disappointing results have given him a hundreds points gap with his teammate Max Verstappen. Despite signing a two-year contract a few weeks ago, Red Bull is not known for keeping its drivers. While they notably replaced Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon for their performances, it is surprising that the Mexican still has a seat. This was quickly explained by Helmut Marko, who stated that Sergio Pérez was the ideal teammate for Max Verstappen.
However, Gabriel Bortoleto would see another duo in the team. Red Bull is always open. We know that if it’s not Ricciardo, it will be Lawson, he revealed. If they don’t put Lawson, I don’t know what they have in mind, or they could put Hadjar. While the second part of the 2024 season has not yet started, it will be necessary to monitor many positions, even those that are already occupied.
