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Sergio Perez is off to a strong start in the 2024 Formula 1 season, a stark contrast to his disappointing finish last year which saw only two podium finishes in the final 10 races. He's in the last year of his contract with the team and has already finished second three times in four races. The only hiccup came in Australia where he came fifth because of damage to his car.
Asked to cite the reasons behind Perez’s improved performance at a press conference ahead of the Chinese GP, Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner lauded the Mexican's hard work but not before he made a joke:
“Probably because he's out of contract! No, I think he's worked hard over the winter. He’s come in with a change, perhaps, slightly to his approach to Grand Prix weekends and he's been very close in the four races so far this season, particularly at a track like Suzuka where last year he struggled quite a bit, but certainly this year he was very competitive.”
Elaborating more on how Perez improved his approach to match the Red Bull champion Max Verstappen, Horner said:
“I think that pretty much sums it up that both of guys get the same equipment at their disposal. I think Checo has been working hard behind the scenes. He's put a lot of a lot of hours in on the sim and his approach going into a Grand Prix weekend and set-up and so on has converged with his team-mate. So, he's applying himself well and has driven some good races so far this year.”
The gap between Sergio Perez and his teammate Max Verstappen is 15 points in the drivers' standings. More than taking a shot at the championship, it is critical that the Mexican driver has a decent first half to the season to retain his seat for the 2025 season.
Christian Horner negates the possibility of announcing a contract for Perez anytime soon
Speaking at the press conference, Christian Horner expressed that the Milton Keynes team is not in a rush to announce their 2025 driver lineup.
Upon being asked if a contract was in the process of being signed with Perez, the Red Bull CEO said:
“Well, firstly on Sergio. Of course, he would like to make an announcement tomorrow, undoubtedly. But we as a team aren't in a particular rush."
He added:
"We're in a fortunate position where many drivers would obviously like to drive for the team, but we're happy with the pairing that we have, we just want to make sure that the level of consistency that Checo has started with this season maintains, and in due course, we'll evaluate those options.
"But, as I say, at this point in time, we're very happy with the line-up that we have. So there's no imminent rush to announce the full driver line-up for 2025. As for other drivers, it's pure speculation.”
Speaking to Klein Zeitung of Sky Sports, Helmut Marko hinted that Carlos Sainz had received a lucrative offer from Audi that Red Bull couldn't match. Addressing Red Bull senior advisor Marko’s comments on Sainz, Horner said:
“We have no idea if and what Audi have offered Carlos, who's a key driver that's on the open market. So it's only natural that there's going to be significant interest.
"And I'm sure Audi would be foolish not to consider a driver of his quality amongst others that have seats available, but it would be improper to disclose what offers are made. That’s something that's not been disclosed to us, as to what offers have been made other teams."
