Helmut Marko says there is nothing negative to say about Sergio Perez as the Mexican seeks a new deal with Red Bull.
Perez’s existing contract with Red Bull expires at the end of this season, and the 2023 championship runner-up has a new contract to retain his seat with the Milton Keynes-based team.
While Perez secured second place in the drivers’ championship last year, the Mexican driver has finished a tricky season with driving errors and poor race weekends that have seen him finish the year cloudy and under a lot of pressure.
The challenge for 2024 was clearly presented to him, with team leader Christian Horner and councillor Helmut Marko urging him to bounce back and be more consistent to keep it as his most sensible priority for 2025.
Perez did just that, with three second-place finishes, a third-place finish and a fifth-place finish in the first five races, keeping him in a comfortable moment for Verstappen in this year’s championship.
With a more consistent qualifying, Perez’s confidence is much more obvious and, with more patient driving, he behaves as expected of him alongside the Dutch driver.
While Perez will have to worry about Carlos Sainz’s availability in the drivers’ market, following the Spaniard’s departure from Ferrari following the signing of Lewis Hamilton, Marko said there was no explanation why at this point looking beyond Perez for next season.
“As long as Checo [Perez] has the compatibility he has now and offers moderate conditions for an extension, there is nothing to say against him,” Marko told Austrian publication OE23.
When asked about the terms of Perez’s contract, monetary or otherwise, Marko revealed that the main sticking point is the length of the deal.
“In fact, he even brings Mexican sponsors with him,” Marko said.
“Their demands are more about the duration of the contract. “
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Horner said on the weekend of the Chinese GP that Red Bull was not yet close to making an announcement on its long-term line-up after Perez said he was confident he had an announcement to make in the coming weeks.
“We’re in race five and there’s already a lot of communication about the drivers for next year,” Horner said.
“We are at a moment where we are very satisfied with our two drivers.
“But we wouldn’t possibly want to make a final decision on the roster until much later this year.
“So, obviously, Max has a long-term contract anyway. Checo [Perez] doesn’t have a contract this year, but so far this season he’s doing exceptionally well.
Asked why Perez was driving so hard after enduring a tricky 2023 behind the wheel of the dominant RB19, Horner smiled.
“Probably because he’s at the end of his contract!” He laughs, before answering more seriously.
“No, I think he worked hard over the winter. He came in with a change, perhaps in his strategy for Grand Prix weekends and has been very close in all four races so far this season.
“Especially at a track like Suzuka, where last year he struggled, but this year he was very competitive.
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