£210k-a-week star ‘under real pressure’ with F1 future in doubt following British Grand Prix

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There may only be a handful of seats left to fill for the 2025 Formula 1 season, but that won’t end speculation surrounding several of the drivers on the grid.

A Formula 1 contract may be watertight but teams and drivers always have a way of getting out of them if they have to.

Ted Kravitz has already suggested one driver swap that could happen halfway through this season.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo appears to be constantly looking over his shoulder at Visa Cash App RB with Liam Lawson waiting in the paddock.

Posting on social media during the British Grand Prix, journalist Nate Saunders was discussing the future of another driver.

When a driver is under pressure, every session counts and there’s an increased amount of scrutiny on every move they make.

No driver on the grid is feeling the heat more than Red Bull star Sergio Perez who had another session to forget at Silverstone.

He beached his car on the outside of Copse during Q1 when the track was still damp and he was running on soft tyres.

Others also ran off the track – including teammate Max Verstappen – but the £210,000-a-week driver was the only man to see his session end by running off the track.

This has only increased talk behind the scenes about what the future holds for the 34-year-old.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Sergio Perez ‘under real pressure’ at Red Bull after British GP mistake

With conditions changing so quickly at Silverstone on Saturday, it was always going to be a difficult session to navigate.

Timing was essential with drivers who set their final time too early in the session penalise as the track dried at a rapid rate.

Unfortunately for Perez, he never reached that point in Q1, going off after just one run and only setting a faster time than Pierre Gasly who already knew he would be starting at the back of the grid due to engine penalties.

Posting on social media after his elimination, Saunders said: “[Sergio] Perez under real pressure coming into the weekend and this is going to increase the chatter around whether Red Bull makes a change during summer break…”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Who could Red Bull replace Sergio Perez with if his poor performances continue?

Sergio Perez will be desperate to put in a performance on Sunday that sees him drive through the field and score a good haul of points at Silverstone.

He desperately needs it with Oscar Piastri, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton all in strong positions to close the gap to the Mexican in the Drivers’ Championship.

Red Bull have a plethora of options if they wish to replace Perez this season.

Daniel Ricciardo has been dreaming of stepping up to Red Bull once and while he’s been outperformed by Yuki Tsunoda this season, his relationship with Christian Horner might work in his favour.

Liam Lawson is also available and he could skip the RB stage of his career should Red Bull not want to disrupt their sister team’s current line-up.

The likes of Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad are impressing in Formula 2 and Formula 3 respectively but aren’t in contention to drive in F1 just yet.

An alternative for Red Bull to consider at the end of the season is Carlos Sainz, who still hasn’t decided where he wants to drive next after being let go by Ferrari.