Contract warning for Sergio Perez after Lawson impresses

Perez finished the United States Grand Prix seventh after starting ninth, almost 40 seconds behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

The Mexican completed the 56-lap encounter only 11 seconds ahead of RB returnee Liam Lawson, who’d started from the rear of the grid following a power unit penalty.

Pressure is mounting on Perez to improve after contributing just 47 points since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend in May.

Verstappen has amassed 218 points during the same period as rivals have become increasingly competitive.

Red Bull Racing was overhauled by McLaren in the constructors’ championship at the Italian Grand Prix and now sits only eight points clear of Ferrari for third in the standings.

The Scuderia dominated the United States Grand Prix with a comfortable one-two for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

With McLaren 40 points clear at the top of the table, it gives rise to concern that last year’s all-conquering team could slip to third by year-end.

The responsibility for Red Bull Racing’s downturn has largely been laid at Perez’s feet.

At Ferrari, both drivers have contributed almost equally to the team’s points tally, as have Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for McLaren.

But Perez has amassed less than half of the points of his team-mate over the course of the season thus far, with the bulk of what he has scored coming in the opening six races.

The ongoing slump is ultimately what cost Daniel Ricciardo his drive at RB.

Viewed as a potential replacement for Perez last season, the Australian’s form never solidified such that he was a clearly better option.

Against that, the decision was made to look to the future and promote Lawson into the drive alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

The New Zealander, who has enjoyed strong support from Marko, impressed in Austin, not only for his result but the manner in which it was achieved – battling with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in the process.

Heading into this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, Perez’s home race, Marko has heaped further pressure on the 34-year-old.

In June, the six-time grand prix winner inked a new deal with Red Bull Racing for 2025, however, it’s believed there are clauses that allow the squad to walk away from the deal.

One of those is understood to relate to his points deficit to Verstappen at the mid-season break – which Perez is thought to have been in breach of.

“Perez may have a contract, but Formula 1 is a meritocracy,” Marko told German publication F1-Insider.

“If the performance is not right, even contracts are useless.

“At the end of the season, we will sit down together and decide who is the best team-mate for Verstappen at Red Bull.”

The suggestion has been that, to save face, rather than allow himself to be ousted from the seat at the end of the year, he would bite the bullet and choose to retire instead.

He’s denied those suggestions, and even taken to social media with a The Wolf of Wall Street meme saying as much.

“It’s a rumour,” Marko told Sky Germany of that suggestion.

“He himself says there is no truth in it. Let’s see, but he has to improve his performance.”

The Mexico City Grand Prix begins on Friday (local time) with two practice sessions.

Sergio Perez versus Max Verstappen in 2024