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Sergio Perez has not had the best 2023 F1 season. The driver started the season impressively and won a couple of races early on, but once Max Verstappen hit his stride, Perez has fallen back. From being a championship contender, Perez has seen his outlook change to someone who is trying to save his seat.
With multiple drivers circling around the Mexican and his future not a guarantee with Red Bull, many possible candidates are auditioning for a possible seat at Sergio's expense.
Now, Sergio Perez can argue that he has a contract in place for the 2024 F1 season. Having said that, if his performance does not improve, Red Bull is not shy about pulling the trigger early if the decision has already been made.
If that is the case, and should Red Bull decide to replace Sergio Perez either at the end of this season or the next, who are the possible contenders for that seat? Let's take a look.
Sergio Perez's possible replacements at Red Bull
#5 Yuki Tsunoda
Much has been made of how Daniel Ricciardo got slotted in at AlphaTauri this season. Even the very first weekend that the Australian was in that car, he ended up outperforming Yuki Tsunoda.
Plenty of fans and even some pundits would have thought that Ricciardo was going to replace Perez sooner rather than later if this continues.
Yuki turned the tide on all those plans by putting together a stunning weekend in Spa. The Japanese driver was extremely impressive in the manner in which he picked up a point for AlphaTauri.
While all the spotlight has been on his Australian teammate, it would be foolish not to keep an eye on Yuki, as the driver has been very impressive this season. If he ends up convincingly beating Ricciardo this season, then he will certainly solidify his candidacy for that seat.
#4 Nico Hulkenberg
Next up, we have Sergio Perez's former teammate Nico Hulkenberg, a driver many felt should have gotten the seat at Red Bull in the first place. The German's return to F1 has been very impressive, but what has been even more impressive is the consistent turn of pace shown by Nico.
His qualifying pace has stood out, while he has been hampered by the lack of race pace of the Haas under him. If one is looking for an ideal teammate for Max Verstappen, Hulkenberg ticks quite a few boxes.
He's fast, he's experienced, he's ridiculously impressive in the wet weather, and most importantly, he knows when to play the team game. Unlike Perez, who continues to struggle with qualifying pace, Nico seems to have no issues on that front either.
His age could be a concern, but on a grid where 40-year-old veterans are hustling these 20-something youngsters, age is just a number now, isn't it?
#3 Alex Albon
Although, indeed, Red Bull does not bring back drivers that got rejected by the team a few years ago, Albon might just be a special exception to that rule. It's not a far-fetched claim that the way he has replaced Russell at Williams, the now-Mercedes driver is not even missed on the team.
Albon was part of Red Bull when the car was just too hard to drive and needed Verstappen's brilliance to pull out the perfect lap time. That led to pressure and ultimately a loss of a spot in the F1 paddock.
Could he make a serious change in that perception? Arguably, he already has done that with his stint at Williams, and he might be someone that Helmut Marko could possibly look at for another shot.
#2 Oscar Piastri
This one is a bit of a wildcard, but there is certainly a case to be made that Oscar Piastri is one driver that Red Bull might give a shot. Arguably, the youngster has already been touted as a future world champion by pundits all over the world.
Not only that, even Christian Horner has admitted that Oscar is one driver that the team regrets not signing to its junior academy.
In terms of potential, Oscar could truly be the next big superstar in F1 and could cause a headache at McLaren with Norris already a part of the team.
Having two Alfas in a team is not the best strategy for any team in F1, but if there was anyone that Red Bull could potentially give a shot as a replacement for Sergio Perez, then Oscar Piastri might just be the one.
#1 Daniel Ricciardo
Finally, coming to the contender that will be the frontrunner if Red Bull chooses to replace Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo has to be at the top of the queue. The reason behind that stems from the fact that the Australian ticks all the boxes, not only on the track but off it as well.
When it comes to commercial viability, Sergio Perez is a giant in Mexico, and according to David Croft, 65% of the entire Red Bull merchandise is from Checo's homeland (take that stat with a pinch of salt as the Austrian team has not verified it). That kind of number is quite impressive, and it shows why Perez is still the darling of Red Bull.
In Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull will have a perfect replacement. The Australian is arguably the second-most famous driver in F1 behind Lewis Hamilton and massively popular in the United States. On the commercial side, Ricciardo has Sergio Perez covered.
All he needs to do now is impress in AlphaTauri. If he can show that he is as competitive as he used to be in his Red Bull days, the Austrian team will welcome him with open arms.
Daniel Ricciardo is the frontrunner to replace Sergio Perez at the moment, and his return is certainly on the cards if he is able to prove himself against Yuki Tsunoda.
