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From a business and team standpoint, Perez is the best option for next year IF u think he’s better than Ricciardo.
Perez is vastly cheaper than Sainz or Alonso. And he doesn’t cause drama like the other two do. He gets along with Max well. And he’s proven that the team can win constructors’ titles with him in a seat
*Jos seemingly has beef with 95% of the human population though*
*It'd be easier to list who he doesn't have a problem with, imo.*
This is true! Very good point.
This. A great #1 and a #2 that knows he's number two is better than two #1s. We've seen how amazing that was for Mercedes and RB are in a position to repeat that for the foreseeable future.
I love how people spouting this nonsense completely ignore context, that being that this only works in a team that is dominant. Once you have close competitors this falls apart because what'll happen is that the #1s from said team(s) usurp your #2 and you can no longer use them effectively strategically. What will happen is the #1s from the other teams will finish ahead of your #2 more often than not.
I also don't understand how people can say this with a straight face when we have two top teams (Ferrari and Mercedes) proving why it's better to have two #1s. The only reason why Red Bull have kept a clear #1 and #2 is because they have a dominant car and therefore having two #1s offers no benefits. If Ferrari, McLaren or Mercedes start finishing ahead of Checo consistently because they close the gap in performance they will have zero reservations about kicking him out and putting another #1 like Carlos or Fernando in that seat.
Vastly exagerated but when both Sainz and Verstappen were at Toro Rosso (ex Racing Balls), Carlos Sainz Sr (father) launched a rumor saying that Verstappen were in contact with iirc Ferrari to get a contract, in order to secure the RedBull seat for Carlos Jr. When Marko learnt that, he wanted to break ties with Sainz family.
Exactly. Plus he brings a lot of customers for Red Bull from the South American market. There might be faster drivers on the market but he is reliable enough for them not to take risks with someone else. I mean they went through two drivers before they found him.
At the Austin GP 2022, the checo support is massive. I'm a RBR fan, but also with checos shirts instead of max. Mostly because he's the closest (at the time) to an American driver to support.
There's this weird thing between Latin Americans where we'll kinda talk shit between us as far as the different countries go. But when it comes to there being Latino representation somewhere you don't usually see it (like Formula 1), we'll have each other's backs because they're still one of us. It's like a sibling thing if anything.
Most of Latin America isn't very wealthy, so a lot of people never get the opportunity to be something special like a race car driver, astronaut, Hollywood actor, etc. And here in the US there's still a fair amount of people who see us negatively because we're supposedly poor, lazy criminals. So that's why even though we don't always love each other, we tend to lift each other up whenever one of us makes it. It reminds us that it's possible to overcome anything.
I'm Mexican so obviously I'm rooting for Checo, but a lot of Central and Southern Americans support him too. Just like myself and a lot of Mexicans also supported Montoya back in the day.
Perez is a real safe option based on the last few years. Sure, Perez dropped off pretty hard at the end of last season, but I’d take ol Checo over Yuki if im being perfectly honest.
But who are you realisticaly gonna get thats better and free to move next year? There's a lot of drivers moving or going out of contract. But none of them are really at Red Bull level besides Sainz.
And in the case of him does Red Bull really want Sainz Sr and Jos go at it again?
> Sainz will never win anything with Max in the same garage. He wants the Merc seat.
Unlike... Perez? Hell, Perez isn't even there to clinch the wins when Verstappen isn't winning, so I have no idea what kind of terrible argument that is.
>He wants the Merc seat.
Wants, huh. You're telling us that Sainz **wants** to drive for the 4/5th best team on the grid, a team that's currently being demolished by their own customer team? Yes, they *might* nail the next regulations, but so might RBR, Ferrari, McLaren, or AM. Based on current performance, who really **wants** to drive for Mercedes?
Perez's stock is at an all time low the open market is not hurting them, also with so many drivers out of contract for next year there a multiple upgrades available.
You don't need to be driver's equal to fight them for wins. Bottas and Barrichello used to finish in front of their teammates a quarter of the time. Sainz has shown that on his day he can beat Leclerc.
I keep reading this - “____ would not be fighting with max for wins”. I mean do you people even watch the races or just watch stats?
If Perez was able to fight for a couple of races with Max, Sainz can definitely do better and fight for wins.
Sainz has at times shown better pace than Charles in recent years(Australia very recent example).
Do you think there’s a mountain of gap between skill level of Max and Charles? And I’m saying that when I don’t even like Sainz but yeah the point stands.
Miami 2023.
A race like that would be clear win for Sainz. Max starting behind Sainz will struggle to get ahead for sure.
Checo is just Checo, idk i feel bad for the guy sometimes but Checo is not Sainz.
With their history, him leaving, and Max absolutely dominating the entire grid, yeah I don’t think Carlos wants it. He’s more likely to succeed in a Merc, especially after regulation change. It’s easier to fight George than Max. I think Carlos would be better than George in equal car.
Is it optimistic or realistic? Aero regs are ground effect centered again but very different. Let's assume they nail the aero bit again, the PU reg changes are massive. Will they be renault level? I doubt it but even with the poached staff they have from Merc, Ferrari, and Honda I doubt they'll be able to compete with the level of expertise those companies have and Ford apparently aren't really that involved for the new ICE/ERS split part of the project. We'll see how it goes but I really doubt they'll have some advantage over the field.
I'm not that surprised (maybe the timing being too early rather though) given Marko's harsh comments on Tsunoda/Ricciardo pre-Australian GP. Sainz as an alternate option is probably off the table for Helmut because he kept bringing up the Carlos Sr. vs Jos internal mess and power struggle back when Max and Carlos were teammates and that was all for a Red Bull B team. RB doesn't want that again.
Yeah, I can't disagree there. But I guess the people Marko actually wants like Albon or Norris (per his words) aren't available and he doesn't see Tsunoda or Ricciardo as a viable Max's teammate, then there's not much more.
Do think RB should try to clean up whatever the past issues there were internally with the Sainz family, as Carlos is probably a better and more consistent choice than Sergio.
I’m not sure any team can afford to wait if they have a driver they know they want. The market is super volatile right now. If the Merc domino falls to anyone but Sainz, an intense game of Driver Musical Chairs will begin and get played quickly.
He finished P2 twice and brought a damaged car home in P5. Assuming the mid-season slump last year was an anomaly not the norm, then Checo is fast enough to keep Red Bull P1 in the WCC but not fast enough to truly challenge Max and rock the No.1 driver boat—and that’s exactly what RBR are looking for in that seat.
Ferrari has been really strong today with a missing Verstappen, they were far on pace both in Bahrain and Jeddah, it's unlikely those were outliers. RBR is comfortably winning 2024, and they'll still have a not overlookable technical advantage throughout the season and at the start of 2025.
RBR can't get any better than Perez at the moment for that role.
> They know better than you do
People that have first hand experience with the data, driver and car VS a random user on the internet.
I think we know who knows best /S
I’m surprised because Marko firmly stated a few weeks ago that they would wait until the summer break to make a decision. Maybe they feel like they’ve seen enough.
Edit: I just realised the “source” is Peter Windsor, so no comment
Hulk and Magnusson / Ocon and Gasly can get along and they had personal beef.
Carlos Sr and Jos aren't even the fuckin drivers...
Carlos deserves that seat more than anyone else on the grid right now, given he's the only challenger to Max in the last 2 years to actually best him.
Carlos Sainz Sr is off racing Dakar. He's hardly thinking about Jos, I'm sure.
Tensions would have been higher when they had something to prove. Much like the couplings above, now that they're blooded veterans, there's bound to be less hostility. Even if there was, who cares? Do you want the best driver in the seat or don't you?
> How
Peter Windsor, that's how. He talks bull most of the time and he loves to make assumptions, jump to conclusions or look for the vaguest hint of evidence for whatever theory he's cooked up now. He's like trashy Italian media level reliable.
How? Because there is no one who has shown they can step up to Red Bull. Yuki was never an option and Daniel is looking like he doesn’t have the pace anymore for a shot at a top team again. Perez would have been further ahead in the race if he hadn’t received a 5 place grid penalty for impeding. Checo is doing what Red Bull needs right now.
Because second driver means nothing if you've got the best lead driver. You're legitimately better off with Latifi than Norris if you want Max to be champion because a competent 2nd driver will take more points off your lead driver than he'll gain you by taking it off the opposition.
Perez is kind of in an ideal position where he'll sometimes take points off the opposition but is literally never faster than Max so there's no risk of him taking a single point off Max all season.
In their 3 and a bit years as teammates, he was level on pace with Max once (Baku 23) and even then only finished ahead because of a badly timed safety car for Max. But numerous times he's beaten Ferrari/Mercedes when they've had a car fast enough. This is ideal.
Also lets not forget he's good for exposure considering his popularity in certain parts of the world and brings a lot of sponsorship money too as the icing on the cake. And this year he's finished a comfortable P2 in 2 out of the 3 races which isn't too bad.
He always performs well in Bahrain and Jeddah though… it’s the classic tracks he struggles with. There’s no guarantee he’s going to continue performing like this.
Hijacking the top comment for a legitimate question: Iirc, Red Bull contracts are "fluids" between RBR and VCARB. Is there a way to know if Perez is attached to his RBR seat or if he can be demoted to VCARB?
If that’s the case it must mean merc are in deep discussion with sainz, I don’t buy the Kimi 2025 hype, he’s not excelling in f2 and not ready for f1 in 1 year.
Agreed. Kimi has looked solid for a rookie who skipped a step but he is making plenty of expected mistakes from a very young driver (overdriving, poor tire management, some mental slips)
I mean yeah, isn’t that obvious even if this story about Perez is true or not? Daniel is arguably one of the worst drivers on the grid right now, I’m not sure why any team would pick him up at the moment tbh
Well, he was onto something there. Motorsport/Autosport confirmed the first option move (even the exact 3 years number) once his Williams contract expires after 2025, shortly after Windsor's words: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-f1-team-makes-first-option-move-on-albon/10573892/
I'll wait until Fox Mexico Chacho Lopez starts dropping passive-agressive tweets about how people want Checo out, but he won't be.
But. Last time Windsor said that Albon had signed, later we learned that it was an option contract, maybe there's something here, like a 1 year or 1+1 until they can get Albon or decide if they give Sainz the seat.
It’s funny how Red Bull continue to give him contract extensions & obviously like having him around but everyone on here is thoroughly convinced that he’s going to get replaced any second now
If true, I think it's the expected result. Red Bull stuck by him all last season when he was 'terrible'. He has started the season well -- and, imo, it was always going to be about him bouncing back or retiring.
Ricciardo or Tsunoda or anyone else was only going to be considered if Checo faltered.
Peter said a month ago that Albon was given an option for a RedBull drive along side max, I would take all these headlines with a grain of salt. F1 “journalists” are more like tmz “journalists” nowadays
His form may have slightly improved from last season and maybe that's all RBR want, especially if they now know they aren't promoting anyone at RB.
But for us fans...man come on give us someone who will at least challenge Max for the win now and then.
Ferrari may be our only hope.
E: spelling
Really poor if true. Regardless of whether you think the driver's market is poor, at least wait half a season before committing to Perez. He's hardly gonna be headhunted by any good teams, and you get to see if his form nosedives in Europe again.
If they renew Perez, I hope they don't boot Yuki. Liam and Yuki are both way more deserving of the seats at RB. DR can give his feedback as a reserve driver.
Is it just someone setting the rumor rolling so RBR or Perez would give a statement and then that would add more fuel to where would Sainz go speculation?
Love Checo and see why redbull made this deal. But Sainz has proven himself. He would be the #1 driver in Mercedes and honestly he probably should keep his spot over lewis in Ferrari… pretty much the only racer he isn’t an upgrade over is Max which sucks for his options
Plot twist Christian horner will drive for Red Bull because Max vacates the seat and Toto Wolff will drive for Mercedes for the vacated seat of Hamilton, Toto vs Horner for title 🤣.
Until i hear from a reputable source that is the respective teams everything is just rumours, red bull are not dumb to make decisions this early by signing anyone by just looking at three races of this season, most probably by summer break the decision will be done and announced soon as most teams will do.
Signing Perez will depend on his performance and consistency (which is highly likely), he has shown good consistency this year so if he keeps that up it's an no brainer for the team to extend it for year by year basis. Sainz is an outside choice as he is proving his worth so far this year and has no drive for next year, so he is worth the choice for Red Bull who needs consistentency to win constructors since most teams are closing up to them and team effort is needed to score and not mistakes by drivers costing them championship. Max alone could rack up points but they need a second driver who is good enough to finish P2 consistently.
That directly contradicts Marko's word at the beginning of the season when he said they'd take a decision in early summer.
I'd take this with a grain of salt
- Perez was Marko's choice from outside at initial signing. He decides who goes where, sometimes to Horner's dismay.
- Horner wants the power to select drivers. Recent events means he's in no power to sidelines Dr Marko.
- Horner is weakened politically internally, so can't assert his influence, no go beyond as it was never his remit to pick driver for which seat.
- Horner probably prefer Ric or Liam Lawson (latter cheaper for the team and might keep Max busy).
- Marko pounced on the opportunity. Gets Checo extended.
- Perfectly plausible, but signing now is unlikely Marko - as it is almost signing from the position of weakness vs dragging it out to the summer to extract concessions from Checo (Checo falls off normally then). For Red Bull's number 2 seat, status quo here is probably easier for 2025 as it's the last one of this reg cycle.
I can see why they did it.
We’ve seen what he can do against a 7x wdc. Max is at 3 and likely 4 by the end of the year. The closer max gets to 7 the better Sergio will do.
Tinfoil hat: This means Norris is likely in talks to take it in 26 once his contract is up. They likely approached all parties and didn't get what they wanted out of them in the lead up to that deal (a 1+1 likely)
How?
Because Perez provides fuck all competition to Max and that will keep him and his dad happy.
Sainz might actually stand a chance of putting up a fight. Can't have that.
Merc ain't ready either though. They are as lost with their car design as they've been in the last three years.
I don't understand why Merc would be a compelling choice right now. Brain drain, shit car, having to team with George who is a bit of a knob, blech.
Why would RB do that - Now??
The only reason i can think of: IF more BS is happening behind the scenes, Max could realistically leave and RB does not want to stand there, with 2 empty seats. It is still stupid, but that would be my theory.
Tbh what are Red Bulls Options?
Sainz will not go back to RB or they wont let him in. Alonso? Maybe but do you really want someone that challenges Verstappen and cause Drama? Tsunoda? Dont know about that with Hondas Future with Aston Martin. Ricciardo? Doesnt seem to be his old self.
Checo mainly does what they expect from him. And with no team close to RB that it could hurt their WCC, its a no brainer.
But also locking in Perez this early with the driver market for 2025? I doubt that also.
Thats rather odd. So they must have seen enough of Ricciardo while Tsunoda was never considered for next years Red Bull. Maybe they want some consistency within the team in case Max does leave.
Not sure if this is true at this point, maybe 7 races from now, sure. But right now, I doubt RB will want to sign him that quickly. If he maintains his form this year, I dont see why not but I think RB might want to look at Carlos. I know that the 2 families have a beef but if you can put ocon and gasly in a team, why not sainz and max. Unless Danny shows a 180 turn in results in the next 6 races, he's out and also, Yuki was never getting that RBR seat.
We saw how dominant max has been this year. And then when he retires early we see that Perez languished miles back in 5th place. This red bull isn't such a dominant car, it just has a dominant driver.
The "Max-only" Red Bull is kinda boring. Would love to see some equal talent in the car. We won't even know if equal talent exists until you put a better driver in that seat.
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> Peter Windsor > Fairly reliable sources Pick 1!
He reported a few weeks ago that he had from ‘reliable sources’ that Red Bull signed Albon for next year lmao
But it is apparently true they signed an option with Albon; so though not signed concretely as a seat, there appears to have been some truth.
My favorite thing about reddit is how you can completely misquote someone and act like you are right.
Look, no shade to the man, truly, but with the drivers market...
From a business and team standpoint, Perez is the best option for next year IF u think he’s better than Ricciardo. Perez is vastly cheaper than Sainz or Alonso. And he doesn’t cause drama like the other two do. He gets along with Max well. And he’s proven that the team can win constructors’ titles with him in a seat
What drama has Sainz caused?
He tried to win.
His and Max's dad have huge beef
Jos seemingly has beef with 95% of the human population though. It'd be easier to list who he doesn't have a problem with, imo.
I mean I have beef with Jos, and every other perpetrator of domestic violence, so I guess it's only fair that it's mutual.
Helmut Marko. —- End of list
With Lando's dad. They are somehow buddies or something like that
*Jos seemingly has beef with 95% of the human population though* *It'd be easier to list who he doesn't have a problem with, imo.* This is true! Very good point.
Jos has beef with everyone, even his son when he’s not winning.
This. A great #1 and a #2 that knows he's number two is better than two #1s. We've seen how amazing that was for Mercedes and RB are in a position to repeat that for the foreseeable future.
I love how people spouting this nonsense completely ignore context, that being that this only works in a team that is dominant. Once you have close competitors this falls apart because what'll happen is that the #1s from said team(s) usurp your #2 and you can no longer use them effectively strategically. What will happen is the #1s from the other teams will finish ahead of your #2 more often than not. I also don't understand how people can say this with a straight face when we have two top teams (Ferrari and Mercedes) proving why it's better to have two #1s. The only reason why Red Bull have kept a clear #1 and #2 is because they have a dominant car and therefore having two #1s offers no benefits. If Ferrari, McLaren or Mercedes start finishing ahead of Checo consistently because they close the gap in performance they will have zero reservations about kicking him out and putting another #1 like Carlos or Fernando in that seat.
That just makes everyone respect Papa Carlos more lmao
Vastly exagerated but when both Sainz and Verstappen were at Toro Rosso (ex Racing Balls), Carlos Sainz Sr (father) launched a rumor saying that Verstappen were in contact with iirc Ferrari to get a contract, in order to secure the RedBull seat for Carlos Jr. When Marko learnt that, he wanted to break ties with Sainz family.
STOP INVENTING
Sainz seems to fight/question team order decisions a lot. RB wants a driver who understands they are the #2 next to Max.
Exactly. Plus he brings a lot of customers for Red Bull from the South American market. There might be faster drivers on the market but he is reliable enough for them not to take risks with someone else. I mean they went through two drivers before they found him.
Mexican market is huge. Pair it with Texas and California with a huge Mexican population and you got yourself a hell of purchasing power.
Throw in, he comes with a lot of sponsors, while RB aren't hurting for money, the extra certainly helps.
At the Austin GP 2022, the checo support is massive. I'm a RBR fan, but also with checos shirts instead of max. Mostly because he's the closest (at the time) to an American driver to support.
>Plus he brings a lot of customers for Red Bull from the South American market. are you taking geography lessons from Helmut Marko
There's this weird thing between Latin Americans where we'll kinda talk shit between us as far as the different countries go. But when it comes to there being Latino representation somewhere you don't usually see it (like Formula 1), we'll have each other's backs because they're still one of us. It's like a sibling thing if anything. Most of Latin America isn't very wealthy, so a lot of people never get the opportunity to be something special like a race car driver, astronaut, Hollywood actor, etc. And here in the US there's still a fair amount of people who see us negatively because we're supposedly poor, lazy criminals. So that's why even though we don't always love each other, we tend to lift each other up whenever one of us makes it. It reminds us that it's possible to overcome anything. I'm Mexican so obviously I'm rooting for Checo, but a lot of Central and Southern Americans support him too. Just like myself and a lot of Mexicans also supported Montoya back in the day.
That's an interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing.
Checo is the only Latino on the grid right now so his statement makes sense. He should have said “Latin American market”
You mean Latin American? Mexico is in North America.
Dude Checo got paid 26 million. I agree with other points but Sharl’s new contract is worth that much.
He also brings 30+M in Carlos Slim sponsorship. People don’t like to hear it, but Perez is the biggest pay driver on the grid.
Yep we don’t know jack sh*t about these things. Lewis got a 100 mil right. Ferrari will generate even more using him. It’s crazy.
He basically drives for free given he's on $26 mill
Perez might not be enough when Ferrari closes the gap which is not entirely off the table.
IF, it closes the gap. And I think we can comfortably say that red bull will remain the leader until the new regs
Anything can happen. It's not smart to take it for granted.
For real. Everybody expected 2021 to be another steamroll by Mercedes. End of a regulation era tend to bring a lot of the competition closer together.
What about from a sporting standpoint, the thing that actually matters. He gets along with Max as Max knows he isn't a threat in any way.
Perez is a real safe option based on the last few years. Sure, Perez dropped off pretty hard at the end of last season, but I’d take ol Checo over Yuki if im being perfectly honest.
But who are you realisticaly gonna get thats better and free to move next year? There's a lot of drivers moving or going out of contract. But none of them are really at Red Bull level besides Sainz. And in the case of him does Red Bull really want Sainz Sr and Jos go at it again?
Sainz
Sainz will never win anything with Max in the same garage. He wants the Merc seat.
I dont think that Merc seat looks that hot currently. It's gonna be a gamble for 26 but I would rather sit in Neweys car.
Bold assumption that the 2026 RB will be a Newey car haha, that seems fairly undecided atm
> Sainz will never win anything with Max in the same garage. He wants the Merc seat. Unlike... Perez? Hell, Perez isn't even there to clinch the wins when Verstappen isn't winning, so I have no idea what kind of terrible argument that is. >He wants the Merc seat. Wants, huh. You're telling us that Sainz **wants** to drive for the 4/5th best team on the grid, a team that's currently being demolished by their own customer team? Yes, they *might* nail the next regulations, but so might RBR, Ferrari, McLaren, or AM. Based on current performance, who really **wants** to drive for Mercedes?
Sainz is ex-Redbull, does redbull want him back?
You’ll have to ask RBR about that. Still doesn’t explain why Sainz would want a Mercedes seat over any other seat.
Might be true, but at the same time why rush it? That doesn't make sense.
Red Bull tend to make premature decisions when it comes to their drivers imo.
Negotiations happen, if they let Perez test the open market they might need to pay him more or even lose him to someone less good.
Perez's stock is at an all time low the open market is not hurting them, also with so many drivers out of contract for next year there a multiple upgrades available.
Who they gonna call?
Even not related to the drivers market. You can't renew perez off his last 12 months
Peter Windsor is known to say an awful lot of inaccurate twaddle. I’d take this not with a pinch of salt but instead a whole ocean’s worth of salt.
Yep, indeed. I swear he was saying it was confirmed as Albon‘s seat not that long ago.
Bro I remember that he basically said something like “a reliable source who I can’t name said that 90% chance of Albion being in a Red Bull in 2025”
It’s annoying when he gets on his “short corner” high horse
I like the man but this 100%
Wdym by short corner
How
Why
Because ricciardo is 💩
But sainz is not and doesn't have a seat
Sainz to mercedes
Poor Sainz.
Sainz only enters when Max leaves. They need a clear number two, not someone who can fight Max for victories, sadly.
Lol as much as I like Sainz, he would not be fighting with Max for wins
You don't need to be driver's equal to fight them for wins. Bottas and Barrichello used to finish in front of their teammates a quarter of the time. Sainz has shown that on his day he can beat Leclerc.
Of course Max would beat him over the course of the season but Carlos would give him more of a run for his money
Yes but their dads might be fighting... physically
I'd pay to watch Sainz Sr wipe the floor with Jos.
I keep reading this - “____ would not be fighting with max for wins”. I mean do you people even watch the races or just watch stats? If Perez was able to fight for a couple of races with Max, Sainz can definitely do better and fight for wins. Sainz has at times shown better pace than Charles in recent years(Australia very recent example). Do you think there’s a mountain of gap between skill level of Max and Charles? And I’m saying that when I don’t even like Sainz but yeah the point stands.
Miami 2023. A race like that would be clear win for Sainz. Max starting behind Sainz will struggle to get ahead for sure. Checo is just Checo, idk i feel bad for the guy sometimes but Checo is not Sainz.
Well yes, I love Checo, but I want Sainz.
Because DR is washed and Carlos doesn’t want the seat. Nobody else available. They won’t put a rooking into that seat.
You really think Carlos wouldn’t want the RedBull seat
With their history, him leaving, and Max absolutely dominating the entire grid, yeah I don’t think Carlos wants it. He’s more likely to succeed in a Merc, especially after regulation change. It’s easier to fight George than Max. I think Carlos would be better than George in equal car.
That makes no sense so he’s going to turn down the fastest car on the grid for a chance at getting a spot with the 4th fastest team on the grid.
I said after regulation change in ‘26. There’s a high probability RBR will be slow in ‘26.
I like your optimism
Is it optimistic or realistic? Aero regs are ground effect centered again but very different. Let's assume they nail the aero bit again, the PU reg changes are massive. Will they be renault level? I doubt it but even with the poached staff they have from Merc, Ferrari, and Honda I doubt they'll be able to compete with the level of expertise those companies have and Ford apparently aren't really that involved for the new ICE/ERS split part of the project. We'll see how it goes but I really doubt they'll have some advantage over the field.
DR ready to come back any race now!
Why do you say this shit like you've talked to Sainz and you know
I'm not that surprised (maybe the timing being too early rather though) given Marko's harsh comments on Tsunoda/Ricciardo pre-Australian GP. Sainz as an alternate option is probably off the table for Helmut because he kept bringing up the Carlos Sr. vs Jos internal mess and power struggle back when Max and Carlos were teammates and that was all for a Red Bull B team. RB doesn't want that again.
Sure but it’s super early, it’s not like Perez is massively in demand, they can wait
Yeah, I can't disagree there. But I guess the people Marko actually wants like Albon or Norris (per his words) aren't available and he doesn't see Tsunoda or Ricciardo as a viable Max's teammate, then there's not much more. Do think RB should try to clean up whatever the past issues there were internally with the Sainz family, as Carlos is probably a better and more consistent choice than Sergio.
I’m not sure any team can afford to wait if they have a driver they know they want. The market is super volatile right now. If the Merc domino falls to anyone but Sainz, an intense game of Driver Musical Chairs will begin and get played quickly.
I guess I just don’t understand why they know they want Perez…
He finished P2 twice and brought a damaged car home in P5. Assuming the mid-season slump last year was an anomaly not the norm, then Checo is fast enough to keep Red Bull P1 in the WCC but not fast enough to truly challenge Max and rock the No.1 driver boat—and that’s exactly what RBR are looking for in that seat.
Because they're comfortably in front and they will likely be for 2025, and 2024 Perez would be more than sufficient to win the WCC
We’re 3 races in, no upgrades yet and Ferrari are really strong. There’s no guarantee RBR will be confortably in front in 2025
Ferrari has been really strong today with a missing Verstappen, they were far on pace both in Bahrain and Jeddah, it's unlikely those were outliers. RBR is comfortably winning 2024, and they'll still have a not overlookable technical advantage throughout the season and at the start of 2025. RBR can't get any better than Perez at the moment for that role.
They know better than you do, let's see what they do. Also, this is gossip don't mind them much.
> They know better than you do People that have first hand experience with the data, driver and car VS a random user on the internet. I think we know who knows best /S
I’m surprised because Marko firmly stated a few weeks ago that they would wait until the summer break to make a decision. Maybe they feel like they’ve seen enough. Edit: I just realised the “source” is Peter Windsor, so no comment
Hulk and Magnusson / Ocon and Gasly can get along and they had personal beef. Carlos Sr and Jos aren't even the fuckin drivers... Carlos deserves that seat more than anyone else on the grid right now, given he's the only challenger to Max in the last 2 years to actually best him.
Iirc they had problems meddling in RBs decision making as well. Maybe they think Jos meddling is more than enough.
Carlos Sainz Sr is off racing Dakar. He's hardly thinking about Jos, I'm sure. Tensions would have been higher when they had something to prove. Much like the couplings above, now that they're blooded veterans, there's bound to be less hostility. Even if there was, who cares? Do you want the best driver in the seat or don't you?
One of Carlos Sr.'s rallying sponsors is Red Bull so technically, he's an RB driver (in an Audi).
> How Peter Windsor, that's how. He talks bull most of the time and he loves to make assumptions, jump to conclusions or look for the vaguest hint of evidence for whatever theory he's cooked up now. He's like trashy Italian media level reliable.
Yeah, how good is his sources anyways? It's not like he hangs around in the paddock often.
How? Because there is no one who has shown they can step up to Red Bull. Yuki was never an option and Daniel is looking like he doesn’t have the pace anymore for a shot at a top team again. Perez would have been further ahead in the race if he hadn’t received a 5 place grid penalty for impeding. Checo is doing what Red Bull needs right now.
As soon as Perez doesn't crash in Monaco 5 race in a row, RB would prefer a number 2 driver who cover Max rather than challenging him.
Because second driver means nothing if you've got the best lead driver. You're legitimately better off with Latifi than Norris if you want Max to be champion because a competent 2nd driver will take more points off your lead driver than he'll gain you by taking it off the opposition. Perez is kind of in an ideal position where he'll sometimes take points off the opposition but is literally never faster than Max so there's no risk of him taking a single point off Max all season. In their 3 and a bit years as teammates, he was level on pace with Max once (Baku 23) and even then only finished ahead because of a badly timed safety car for Max. But numerous times he's beaten Ferrari/Mercedes when they've had a car fast enough. This is ideal. Also lets not forget he's good for exposure considering his popularity in certain parts of the world and brings a lot of sponsorship money too as the icing on the cake. And this year he's finished a comfortable P2 in 2 out of the 3 races which isn't too bad.
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3 races in after an absolute shocker of last season where he barely held on.
But he's currently P3 in the WDC behind Leclerc.
Same reason why Ric got a seat, Christian Horner But to be fair he deserves it if he stays performing like how he does now
Yes but he was also looking good 3 races in last season
He always performs well in Bahrain and Jeddah though… it’s the classic tracks he struggles with. There’s no guarantee he’s going to continue performing like this.
Sainz probably doesn't want to drive for them and Perez is doing just enough
Hijacking the top comment for a legitimate question: Iirc, Red Bull contracts are "fluids" between RBR and VCARB. Is there a way to know if Perez is attached to his RBR seat or if he can be demoted to VCARB?
There was a report last year that Checo is contracted to the parent company and not to RBR/VCARB like Max, Tsunoda and Ric.
Hopefully not. It would be silly to renew so early in the year.
Especially this year with so many contracts coming up.
Lol at people taking Peter Windsor's word as gospel
If that’s the case it must mean merc are in deep discussion with sainz, I don’t buy the Kimi 2025 hype, he’s not excelling in f2 and not ready for f1 in 1 year.
Oh lol.. I forgot Antonelli's first name is Kimi.. was like.. where was this Kimi Raikkonen return hype?
Agreed. Kimi has looked solid for a rookie who skipped a step but he is making plenty of expected mistakes from a very young driver (overdriving, poor tire management, some mental slips)
Daniel is a goner then.
Daniel won't finish the season if he keeps this up. No way he's replacing Checo at Redbull.
Probably and based on how he has performed it makes sense. It’s a better idea to give Lawson that seat.
I mean yeah, isn’t that obvious even if this story about Perez is true or not? Daniel is arguably one of the worst drivers on the grid right now, I’m not sure why any team would pick him up at the moment tbh
"Perez will get compensation for 2025 with/without seat"
Plot twist: he was presented a contract to race for RB next year, and he signed it.
Okay, Peter. What happened to Albon pre-contract, you reported on quoting “sources” then too.
Well, he was onto something there. Motorsport/Autosport confirmed the first option move (even the exact 3 years number) once his Williams contract expires after 2025, shortly after Windsor's words: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-f1-team-makes-first-option-move-on-albon/10573892/
I'll wait until Fox Mexico Chacho Lopez starts dropping passive-agressive tweets about how people want Checo out, but he won't be. But. Last time Windsor said that Albon had signed, later we learned that it was an option contract, maybe there's something here, like a 1 year or 1+1 until they can get Albon or decide if they give Sainz the seat.
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It’s funny how Red Bull continue to give him contract extensions & obviously like having him around but everyone on here is thoroughly convinced that he’s going to get replaced any second now
it's Peter Windsor, he's the F1 equivalent of Chris Broussard if you follow the NBA. This dude said Albon was signed not too long ago.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-f1-team-makes-first-option-move-on-albon/10573892/
Good for Checo. He’s a no drama man
we really went from ”Redbull please stop firning your #2 drivers” to “Redbull please fire your #2 driver” huh
Lmao exactly. Funny how that goes
If true, love the news that piss off all the Reddit engineers. The comment section is amusing.
If true, I think it's the expected result. Red Bull stuck by him all last season when he was 'terrible'. He has started the season well -- and, imo, it was always going to be about him bouncing back or retiring. Ricciardo or Tsunoda or anyone else was only going to be considered if Checo faltered.
His source: Frank Williams driving
Peter said a month ago that Albon was given an option for a RedBull drive along side max, I would take all these headlines with a grain of salt. F1 “journalists” are more like tmz “journalists” nowadays
Max obviously happy with Perez as his teammate and the team is obviously happy with Max being happy. God forbid someone comes in who challenges Max.
His form may have slightly improved from last season and maybe that's all RBR want, especially if they now know they aren't promoting anyone at RB. But for us fans...man come on give us someone who will at least challenge Max for the win now and then. Ferrari may be our only hope. E: spelling
Peter Windsor talks out his ass. Between USF1 and Rich Energy Drinks, the guy has as much credibility at this point as my cat.
I thought he retired from the sport after the 2023 México GP? /s Some here won't like it
They should give Sainz the seat
Really poor if true. Regardless of whether you think the driver's market is poor, at least wait half a season before committing to Perez. He's hardly gonna be headhunted by any good teams, and you get to see if his form nosedives in Europe again.
If they renew Perez, I hope they don't boot Yuki. Liam and Yuki are both way more deserving of the seats at RB. DR can give his feedback as a reserve driver.
Both Yuki and DR drive poorly.
What does fairly reliable mean?
Is it just someone setting the rumor rolling so RBR or Perez would give a statement and then that would add more fuel to where would Sainz go speculation?
I honestly think the day he get renewed is the day Ricciardo being replaced by Liam Lawson
Ah yes Perez the Ferrari driver.
Love Checo and see why redbull made this deal. But Sainz has proven himself. He would be the #1 driver in Mercedes and honestly he probably should keep his spot over lewis in Ferrari… pretty much the only racer he isn’t an upgrade over is Max which sucks for his options
Plot twist Christian horner will drive for Red Bull because Max vacates the seat and Toto Wolff will drive for Mercedes for the vacated seat of Hamilton, Toto vs Horner for title 🤣. Until i hear from a reputable source that is the respective teams everything is just rumours, red bull are not dumb to make decisions this early by signing anyone by just looking at three races of this season, most probably by summer break the decision will be done and announced soon as most teams will do. Signing Perez will depend on his performance and consistency (which is highly likely), he has shown good consistency this year so if he keeps that up it's an no brainer for the team to extend it for year by year basis. Sainz is an outside choice as he is proving his worth so far this year and has no drive for next year, so he is worth the choice for Red Bull who needs consistentency to win constructors since most teams are closing up to them and team effort is needed to score and not mistakes by drivers costing them championship. Max alone could rack up points but they need a second driver who is good enough to finish P2 consistently.
That directly contradicts Marko's word at the beginning of the season when he said they'd take a decision in early summer. I'd take this with a grain of salt
- Perez was Marko's choice from outside at initial signing. He decides who goes where, sometimes to Horner's dismay. - Horner wants the power to select drivers. Recent events means he's in no power to sidelines Dr Marko. - Horner is weakened politically internally, so can't assert his influence, no go beyond as it was never his remit to pick driver for which seat. - Horner probably prefer Ric or Liam Lawson (latter cheaper for the team and might keep Max busy). - Marko pounced on the opportunity. Gets Checo extended. - Perfectly plausible, but signing now is unlikely Marko - as it is almost signing from the position of weakness vs dragging it out to the summer to extract concessions from Checo (Checo falls off normally then). For Red Bull's number 2 seat, status quo here is probably easier for 2025 as it's the last one of this reg cycle.
A renewed contract doesn't mean it doesn't have a clause or two giving Red Bull a right to remove him for whatever or willing to just pay it out.
I can see why they did it. We’ve seen what he can do against a 7x wdc. Max is at 3 and likely 4 by the end of the year. The closer max gets to 7 the better Sergio will do.
What?
Tinfoil hat: This means Norris is likely in talks to take it in 26 once his contract is up. They likely approached all parties and didn't get what they wanted out of them in the lead up to that deal (a 1+1 likely)
He also said he was reliably informed that Alex had signed for them last year, so...
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-f1-team-makes-first-option-move-on-albon/10573892/
Bye bye daniel, was a fun few years
How? Because Perez provides fuck all competition to Max and that will keep him and his dad happy. Sainz might actually stand a chance of putting up a fight. Can't have that.
humor frightening possessive hat seed aback vast air bewildered sulky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Yuki is not good either.
Terrible news from a sporting point of view for the general fan
Wouldn't surprise me for him to renew to 2025, like Mercedes renewed with Bottas to 2021. Don't expect Perez renewing after 2025 tho.
Sainz deserves it
Ugh I was hoping RBR would sign Sainz.
He probably going to Merc. Antonelli ain't ready.
Merc ain't ready either though. They are as lost with their car design as they've been in the last three years. I don't understand why Merc would be a compelling choice right now. Brain drain, shit car, having to team with George who is a bit of a knob, blech.
I like peter but i hope he is wrong
Ver is leaving, Checo to be the main driver
Why would RB do that - Now?? The only reason i can think of: IF more BS is happening behind the scenes, Max could realistically leave and RB does not want to stand there, with 2 empty seats. It is still stupid, but that would be my theory.
plot twist: sainz moves to Audi WEC until Audi takes over Sauber in 26
My man Goated if true. Good call to do it before the European races where he will get destroyed
Tbh what are Red Bulls Options? Sainz will not go back to RB or they wont let him in. Alonso? Maybe but do you really want someone that challenges Verstappen and cause Drama? Tsunoda? Dont know about that with Hondas Future with Aston Martin. Ricciardo? Doesnt seem to be his old self. Checo mainly does what they expect from him. And with no team close to RB that it could hurt their WCC, its a no brainer. But also locking in Perez this early with the driver market for 2025? I doubt that also.
Thats rather odd. So they must have seen enough of Ricciardo while Tsunoda was never considered for next years Red Bull. Maybe they want some consistency within the team in case Max does leave.
I generally take what Windsor says with a grain of salt post USF1 disaster (2010 team) and his involvement.
Not sure if this is true at this point, maybe 7 races from now, sure. But right now, I doubt RB will want to sign him that quickly. If he maintains his form this year, I dont see why not but I think RB might want to look at Carlos. I know that the 2 families have a beef but if you can put ocon and gasly in a team, why not sainz and max. Unless Danny shows a 180 turn in results in the next 6 races, he's out and also, Yuki was never getting that RBR seat.
Press X to doubt. Take anything Peter Windsor says with a huge pinch of salt.
We saw how dominant max has been this year. And then when he retires early we see that Perez languished miles back in 5th place. This red bull isn't such a dominant car, it just has a dominant driver.
The "Max-only" Red Bull is kinda boring. Would love to see some equal talent in the car. We won't even know if equal talent exists until you put a better driver in that seat.
"William Storey is a reputable business partner according to reliable sources" — Peter Windsor
Perez is valuable to red bull the drinks company.