Perez to be fired after this season? Any realistic candidates to replace him?
Sergio Perez seems likely to leave Red Bull after the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, the option of Franco Corrapinto is currently unrealistic within Red Bull.
Franco Colapinto’s remarkable performance as Logan Sargent’s replacement at Williams drew Red Bull’s interest. However, fatal mistakes in Brazil and Las Vegas raised questions about Red Bull’s management, and the possibility of considering Corrapinto as a replacement for Sergio Perez or as a Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) driver was remote.
Christian Horner said of Corapinto after the Qatar Grand Prix, “He is certainly a talented young man who is trying to win a future F1 seat.
He said, “There is a great reservoir of talent in the junior teams and I am confident that Franco [Colapinto] will be on the grid in the future. You always have to keep an eye on the market for all teams, but there is strength and depth in the junior program,” he added.
Perez’s 2024 season has not worked in his favor. In Qatar, he failed to qualify for the sprints, missed the start of the sprint race, and retired in the main race. Currently, Perez is 277 points behind teammate Max Verstappen. This is a huge gap.
According to PlanetF1, Liam Lawson and Hiroki Tsunoda have emerged as the main contenders for a seat at Red Bull Racing in 2025 if Perez is fired by Red Bull.
If either of them are promoted to Red Bull, Red Bull’s F2 prospect Isaac Hajjar could join the VCARB.
Horner said, “We are pleased that Isaac (Hajjar) is currently performing well in F2,” adding, “There was a half point gap between the drivers before the last race in Abu Dhabi, and Liam (Lawson) and Yuki (Tsunoda) were very close in terms of rhythm against Qatar. Therefore, we have a sufficient number of drivers,” he concluded.
Hajjar will have a busy weekend in Abu Dhabi. He will take part in the first free practice (FP1) in Verstappen’s car and will also battle Gabriele Bortollet for the 2024 F2 championship.
[Related Article.
- Bowles confirms Red Bull’s interest in Corapinto – Shiga Sports
- Perez blames Leclerc for qualifying debacle – Shiga Sports
- Horner hints he may fire Perez in Melbourne next year – Shiga Sports
- Kakuta wonders why his name is not mentioned as Perez’s successor – Shiga Sports
- Marko Doesn’t Rule Out Last-Minute Driver Change – Shiga Sports
