Helmut Marko has stated that Sergio Perez is looking for a three-year contract extension with Red Bull. However, the Mexican’s aspirations are unlikely to be granted after the reigning world champions rejected his initial approach.
Perez’s contract expires at the end of the season, and with Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda all making persuasive pitches for Red Bull to offer them a drive, the 34-year-old will need to keep up his good form if he wants to sign a third deal with the Milton Keynes-based company.
However, with four podium finishes in his first five races in 2024, the Mexican is within a race victory of teammate Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship standings, putting him the current leader for the spot alongside the Dutchman in 2025. Nonetheless, the two parties remain far apart in their contract negotiations.
Speaking to Motorsport.NL on Checo’s possibilities, Marko stated: “We are not yet in a position to finalize anything. But it’s nothing to do with restrictions; he understands he needs to perform. Initially, he requested a three-year deal, but we will find a solution.”
A three-year deal keeps the Mexican at Red Bull until the end of the 2024 season. However, with young talents such as Liam Lawson, Pepe Marti, and Isack Hadjar vying for opportunities to shine, as well as Yuki Tsunoda seeking a better drive than his VCARB seat provides, Marko and Christian Horner have little reason to lock Perez down in the long run.
Horner delivered an update on China’s decision-making process last weekend. He explained, “We’re in a scenario where we’re quite delighted with our two drivers but don’t have to make a decision until much later in the year. Max is on a long-term contract, whereas Checo is out of contract but performing incredibly well this season.Sergio, of course, would prefer to make an announcement tomorrow, but we as a team are not in a rush. We’re in a privileged situation in that many drivers would certainly like to drive for the team, but we’re pleased with the duo we have.
“We simply want to ensure that Checo maintains the level of consistency that he started the season with, and we will consider those choices later. But, as I previously stated, we are quite pleased with the current driver lineup, so there is no immediate need to release the whole driver lineup for 2025.”
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