Imola race unlikely to affect Perez’s future at Red Bull
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said that Sergio Perez's poor performance at the Imola Grand Prix will not influence discussions about his contract for the 2025 Formula 1 season, but he won't go so far as to say that he will be retained.
Sergio Perez lost the second place in the drivers’ championship to Charles Leclerc on Sunday, after a disappointing performance throughout the weekend in Imola. Red Bull struggled to find the right setups for the Mexican’s RB20.
Sergio Perez has not yet outqualified Max Verstappen, nor led a race ahead of him this season, but his performance has significantly deteriorated in Imola where he failed to reach Q3, unlike the two Racing Bulls cars. A first this season. On Sunday, he finished eighth after a trip through the gravel trap. He finished 55 seconds behind his Red Bull teammate.
Despite this, Christian Horner is not worried about this setback, describing it as a mere dip. “Our simulations before the race indicated that seventh place was potentially optimal, assuming nothing happened, no safety car or anything,” said Horner, with the race proceeding without interruptions. “He had a moment in the gravel which cost him around six seconds, but I think that was pretty much the maximum he could have achieved from that grid position today.”
This performance below expectations comes as Perez’s future at Red Bull remains uncertain for the 2025 season. Horner admitted that the timing was unfortunate for his driver, but emphasized a bigger picture: « There are 24 races on the calendar. He started the year well, his approach was very strong and he changed his approach this year. Today’s result was dictated by yesterday’s qualifications. »
The two Racing Bulls drivers, Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as Carlos Sainz, among others, are in the running for Sergio Perez’s seat. Horner added that we know exactly where we stand and what our options are. At the right time, we will make decisions about the future.
When asked how close Red Bull was to finalizing terms of a new contract with Perez and if it was just a matter of signing, Horner clearly indicated that any potential agreement was not just waiting to be signed: “Checo is still a very straightforward guy to deal with, so I don’t expect this to be a problem.”
