"I’d like to see a stronger second driver" "No reason to replace him": Fans split as Sergio Perez targets contract renewal with Red Bull

F1 fans recently reacted to Sergio Perez aiming to renew his contract with Red Bull.

The Mexican driver has been driving for the Austrian team for over three years now. He helped the team win two constructors' world championships in 2022 and 2023 and won five out of six total race wins with the team.

Since he drove alongside defending world champion Max Verstappen, he had been under constant scrutiny whenever he underdelivered in a race. For the past two years, several rumors emerged about him getting replaced by several drivers.

Coming into the 2024 F1 season, he secured second place in three out of four races so far and is keeping up with Verstappen.

As quoted by F1.com, Perez talked about how interesting the driver market would be and hinted that his future would be clear in the coming weeks.

"I believe it will be a matter of time, obviously the driver market is moving and the next few weeks are going to be a lot of movement for sure, so I expect within a month to really know what I'm doing next year," Perez said.

Some fans opined that Red Bull should look elsewhere and bring a more competent driver to replace Sergio Perez. They talked about how Perez's replacement should be able to close the gap to Max Verstappen.

"I’d like to see a stronger second driver at Red Bull but I suspect the Verstappens wouldn’t allow it. In any case Checo will probably do just enough to keep his seat," one fan wrote.

On the other hand, several fans showered praise on Sergio Perez, stating that the Mexican is delivering for Red Bull and see no reason as to why he should be replaced.

"He's having a good season. I see no reason to replace him," one fan wrote.

"I hope he stays with Redbull," another added.

"He’s doing everything right so far," a fan praised.

"China GP will be important race weekend for him then," one exclaimed

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Helmut Marko reckons Sergio Perez's on-track improvement could be linked to Red Bull contract extension

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko feels that Sergio Perez's improved performance in the 2024 F1 season could be linked to the fact that his contract needs to be renewed.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko recalled how the Japanese GP in 2023 was Perez's worst race. His race around Suzuka in 2024 was drastically different as he secured second place, right behind defending world champion Max Verstappen.

Marko went on to explain that Perez's contract renewal in 2024 could have motivated him to perform better.

“Last year [in Japan] in particular was Sergio's worst race. Everything went wrong then, so I think it's particularly satisfying for him. You can see he can do it. But perhaps it also plays a role that next year's contracts are at stake - this year much earlier than usual. That also seems to be very motivating,” Marko said (via Autosport).

Sergio Perez is currently second in the 2024 F1 drivers' championship table with 64 points, while Verstappen leads the table with 77 points.