Why Max Verstappen must have him as teammate in 2025

Perhaps somewhat overconfidently, Sergio Perez stated that more clarity on his future at Red Bull Racing will surely emerge "in the coming weeks". With the Mexican's previous contract extension still fresh in the memory (after which the veteran performed poorly for months, ed.), it remains to be seen whether Red Bull want to commit the driver alongside Max Verstappen so early in the season. That Perez should be the only serious candidate for the seat at the moment, however, is mostly a compliment to the Mexican.

No one can deny that Perez is having a fine season so far. When he signed with the Austrian team in early '21, the brief was clear. To put it charitably: 'To come second behind Verstappen every time and, if the Dutchman has problems, to take the win himself'. In the four races run this season, Perez drove to second place three times. In Australia, he finished fifth - on the day Verstappen crashed out - but Perez himself had damage that afternoon in Melbourne (including a tear off from Alonso getting stuck in his sidepod) which made victory impossible.

Perez closer to Verstappen

With his current form, Perez is doing himself an incredible favour. Prior to the season, there was plenty of speculation about who should take over the six-time Grand Prix winner's seat from 2025, but for now Sergio Perez is proving that only he deserves that spot. Even his biggest pain point - qualifying - is showing improvement. In Bahrain, the Mexican still qualified fifth, the following three races he twice started from third place and last weekend in Japan second. At Suzuka, the difference to polesitter Verstappen was just 0.06 seconds.

Red Bull Racing could not wish for anything better. The Perez of '24 is a driver who has the speed to finish second without much trouble AND someone who knows his place. For years, the Mexican's Achilles heel was thinking he was a serious contender for Verstappen for the world title. As much as this ambition is to be applauded, it is not real. Indeed, that thought only got in Perez's way mentally.

Time and again in recent years, he seemed to want to prove he really was a top driver, which caused him to pass himself. Meanwhile, Perez seems to have realised that he is a runner-up, who can drive to the podium at every Grand Prix and win the occasional race. That self-knowledge has made Perez a more stable driver (for now).

Perez has edge over Sainz

The very fact that Perez now knows exactly what his role is and where his own ceiling lies makes him particularly valuable to Red Bull Racing. This gives him an edge over Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard who is also having an excellent season and is looking for a seat for '25. With Sainz, Red Bull would bring in a driver who does want to go for his own chance, which would disrupt the dynamics within the Austrian team considerably. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that Sainz is a nice driver who is currently in a good flow. But it is not for nothing that Ferrari cast him aside in favour of Lewis Hamilton.

Other candidates like Daniel Ricciardo (a parody of an F1 driver by now), the ever-unpredictable Yuki Tsunoda or the unconvincing Alex Albon this season should also not be in Sergio Perez's shadow at the moment. The only uncertain factor at the moment is: can Sergio Perez maintain his current form over time? That question is undoubtedly on Red Bull's mind too, which probably means that a decision on a contract extension cannot be expected any time soon. If Perez manages to maintain the current form, there should really be no doubt: then Perez will belong to Red Bull Racing in 2025 as well.