Red Bull is set to confirm that Sergio Perez will continue with the premier Formula 1 team into 2025.
Recent disclosures suggest that the beverage company-owned squad, where Max Verstappen prominently stands as the lead racer, had initially proposed only a single year contract for Perez for 2025, despite the Mexican driver and his backers advocating for an extended term.
"What's interesting," states Bild correspondent Michel Milewski, "is that (Carlos) Sainz is said to have had his eye on the Red Bull cockpit. But team boss Christian Horner declined to sign him."
Despite occasional critiques for not matching Verstappen's performance, Perez's tenure with the team since 2021 has been marked by substantial team success. Verstappen has clinched every drivers' championship from then, and Red Bull has won all constructors' titles starting in 2022.
Germany's leading daily, Bild, reports: "Perez and the Austrian team have agreed on a new contract. Nothing is official yet, but everything has been sorted out between the veteran and the energy drink team for several days. The final details were clarified before the Monaco GP."
Correspondent Milewski notes that Perez's arrangement guarantees him a place for the 2025 season, with an option for Red Bull to extend it to 2026. "A great solution for both that parties," he remarked.
As for Verstappen, he continually rebuffs rumours that he is pondering an early exit from his 2028 commitment, possibly to join Mercedes.
"Can we stop talking about this yet? Absolutely not," former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher commented to formel1.de.
"I think Max will be looking for a better car, and that is not the Red Bull at the moment. It is simply a difficult car to drive and I think this could be a big problem."
