Sergio Perez is reportedly on the verge of securing a renewal with Red Bull for the 2024 season, as stated by Dr Helmut Marko.
At first glance, considering Perez's difficulties in matching Max Verstappen's performance, alongside whispers of Verstappen potentially leaving, Red Bull appears to be actively involved in the 2025 driver market speculation.
Carlos Sainz, victorious in Melbourne and on the lookout for an alternate home for 2025 and beyond, emerges as a prime contender.
"Verstappen is number 1 at Red Bull," declared Hans-Joachim Stuck, an F1 icon, to Eurosport Germany, suggesting Verstappen might have a say in the selection of his teammate.
"If that is the case, I would assume that he is happy with Perez, because he has nothing to worry about."
However, it seems the period of ease Verstappen has enjoyed at Red Bull may be coming to an end. Notably, his chief mechanic of many years, Lee Stevenson, is departing from the team immediately.
Moreover, there are whispers of a lucrative proposal from Aston Martin to Adrian Newey. This coincides with speculations that Red Bull's Austrian faction might exit F1, leaving operations to the Thai group - potentially clarifying the recently subdued nature of the Christian Horner situation.
This could lead to the departures of both Marko and perhaps even Verstappen.
"I'm flying to Japan," Marko disclosed to Laola1.
In response to queries about the ongoing management dispute, the 80-year-old commented, "For the Thai shareholders, everything is clear. Everything is fine for them.
"Whether anything else will come or not, I have no idea. It is a very complex matter that is difficult to understand."
Regarding his own position within F1, Marko remarked, "There are always conversations and discussions. My direct supervisor is Oliver Mintzlaff," he acknowledged.
"But right now we have other concerns than what I'm doing." He noted that his interactions with Chalerm Yoovidhya, Red Bull's Thai majority owner, are infrequent, mentioning, "The conversations usually go through the British lawyer Peter Blake-Turner."
Concerning Perez, Marko appears hesitant to bring in a new partner for Verstappen.
"Sainz's form is fascinating, of course," Marko commented. "But you have to understand that Perez did well in all three races this year so far. The fact that he fell behind in Melbourne was due to a damaged floor and tyre degradation.
"His only weak point is his qualifying. If he can improve his results there, we won't need to think about replacing him. The atmosphere in the team is good and he feels comfortable here."
