Sergio Perez has three options for next F1 team after Red Bull exit admission
After months of defiant statements in the face of intense speculation, even Sergio Perez has now conceded that he might not have a future at Red Bull.
Pressure has mounted on the 33-year-old this year, especially during a wretched run of qualifying form at the start of the European season. Despite getting back on track, he is still 145 points adrift of Max Verstappen in the standings.
Christian Horner continues to back his man in public and insists he will still be with Red Bull in 2024. Perez's current contract guarantees him that spot, unless the team decided to buy him out.
Horner insists that won't happen. Nevertheless, Perez has now admitted himself that he is open to considering a fresh start if he feels he cannot show his best in a Red Bull car.
"I think that now, with the season we've had, it's important in the next races to be in an environment where I feel I can contribute," he said. "And if that place in 2024 isn't here, then we have to look for alternatives."
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It remains to be seen what that would mean for his Formula 1 career, though. It almost ended before Red Bull offered him the seat he currently holds and there is no guarantee that there will be other options available to him if Perez does leave.
But there are some that he could target:
Alfa Romeo/Sauber/Audi
Alfa Romeo are in the midst of a significant transition. The carmaker which currently lends its name to the team is on its way out of the sport, while the F1 operation will become the Audi works team from 2026.
Sergio Perez scored his first F1 podium with Sauber in 2012 (AFP/Getty Images)Perez is already familiar to Sauber, having made his F1 debut for the team back in 2011 and driven for them for two seasons before leaving for McLaren to replace Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton. He scored his first F1 podium with Sauber and generally impressed in his time there.
Valtteri Bottas, like Perez, is contracted until 2024. If the Finn does not sign another deal or perhaps even chooses to walk away from F1, then the Mexican would very much make up for the experience that the team would be losing.
Zhou Guanyu currently fills the other seat and, as it stands, is not guaranteed a place on the 2024 grid. If the Chinese racer is axed, he will most likely be replaced by Formula 2 title-chaser Theo Pourchaire, who is highly rated by the team and could be a young star for Audi's long-term F1 future.
Williams
Perhaps a slightly left-field move, but Perez's experience might be exactly what Williams need. Particularly if the team is to lose Alex Albon in the next year or two.
Perez could be an experienced option for Williams if Alex Albon is poached by an F1 rival (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)The British-Thai racer has left a lot of people in the paddock very impressed with his performances and results since he came back into the sport with the team. Aged 27, he can no longer be categorised as a young talent, but is approaching is prime and doing everything he can to prove he can be a valuable asset for most teams.
Albon is said to be on Ferrari's radar, while several other teams would most likely be interested as well. If Williams were to lose him, then signing Perez – a race-winner with something to prove after his Red Bull stint – would surely help to soften the blow.
There might even be a place alongside Albon for the Mexican. James Vowles is committed to giving Logan Sargeant as much time as he can to develop and prove his value, but in F1 even the most patient of team bosses can have their hands forced if a driver is not producing the required results.
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McLaren
Another of Perez's former teams, having raced for the Woking squad in 2013. It's not a move that is likely to happen given the options at McLaren's disposal, but it is a team that would most likely have a vacancy in the case of his departure from Red Bull.
That's because Lando Norris would surely be the team's top target to replace Perez. If Norris can be convinced to quit McLaren, then there would be a space there for which Perez could at least stake a claim.
But he might find it frustrating racing alongside Oscar Piastri. Comparisons between the rookie and Verstappen are certainly premature at this stage, but the belief at McLaren is that he has the talent to develop into one of the Dutchman's chief title rivals in the future.
Piastri has largely played second fiddle to Norris so far this season, but has held his own against the Brit enough to impress. He will be no pushover in a fight with Perez.
IndyCar?
A Red Bull exit might also signal the end of Perez's F1 career – whether voluntarily or not. In that event, it is likely a switch to the American IndyCar championship will be appealing to the Mexican.
It will allow him to move closer to him and spend much more time with his family. As Helmut Marko recently pointed out, Perez has other priorities away from racing these days which could play a role in a potential move back across the Atlantic.
He will still have plenty to offer in single-seater racing and the competitive IndyCar series could suit Perez. F1 would be losing a very good racer but one advancing in years who, given his personal circumstances, could flourish more racing in the US than he is able to right now in Verstappen's shadow.
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