11 August 2023 , 06:00
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Sergio Perez is not guaranteed his Red Bull seat for next season despite his current contract, believes racing legend Tom Coronel.
The Mexican's Red Bull deal runs until the end of 2024. And team principal Christian Horner has repeatedly stated his intention to honour the full length of that contract, despite his poor results relative to team-mate Max Verstappen.
Perez has slipped to 125 points behind the Dutchman after the first 12 races of the season. He began strongly by winning two of the first four races, but Verstappen has taken victory in the eight Grands Prix since while his team-mate lost form and confidence, particularly in qualifying.
Red Bull have not shied away from axing drivers earlier than planned in recent years – Nyck de Vries' AlphaTauri axing just last month being the most recent example. And World Touring Car Championship legend Coronel nodded to that as he shared his uncertainty over Perez's place.
"In all of Formula 1, a contract is toilet paper," he told RacingNews365. "The most money is made at the time when contracts are dissolved, you've seen that before with drivers. 'Shall we say goodbye now? Okay, so then it costs 20 million extra', but then you can move on."
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And Coronel went on to share his belief that Daniel Ricciardo, back in F1 as De Vries' replacement, will get his chance back in a Red Bull at Perez's expense. "We all know what will happen to Perez. Come on, we know that," he added.
"It's very clear. [Team adviser Helmut] Marko is looking for a very strong second driver. Ricciardo was Verstappen's best team-mate ever, so that's what they're looking for. Perez just doesn't have the consistency. A sub-topper, nothing wrong with that.
"But you're looking for a Ricciardo, who beat Sebastian Vettel [at Red Bull]. Will he be the new world champion? Well, with Max next to him, he can forget that, but one thing is for sure – you need a driver at Red Bull who will be at least second or third, and that's where Perez still shoots himself too often."
Coronel's comments come after Marko responded to a claim that Perez's salary would be cut because of a performance clause in his contract. The Red Bull chief rubbished that rumour and clarified that there is nothing in any of the team's driver contracts which would allow such a move.
"I don't know where that's coming from again," said the experienced Austrian. "It's completely made up out of thin air. The contracts are precisely regulated. There will be no salary cuts. Max is driving in a league of his own. There is therefore no reason to think about measures affecting Perez. He still has a contract with Red Bull for 2024."