37-podium driver could be ‘one of the last’ to discover his 2025 Formula 1 fate

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The 2024 Formula 1 season might have only just started, but already attention is being turned to the following year.

With so many drivers out of contract and a growing gulf between the bottom five and top five constructors, the teams have more power than ever when it comes to building their perfect driver line-up.

Speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast, journalist Ben Hunt has suggested that a key player in the market may have to be patient to discover their fate for the 2025 campaign.

The writing might already be on the wall for Daniel Ricciardo at Visa Cash App RB unless he can turn his form around quickly.

Logan Sargeant’s long-term Formula 1 hopes don’t look good either after being sacrificed to allow Alex Albon to drive his car in Melbourne.

However, Sergio Perez might end up being one of the last drivers to find where he’ll be driving in 2025.

The Mexican – who has 37 F1 podiums to his name – didn’t have the best race in Australia.

His main job is to pick up the slack when Max Verstappen runs into trouble, but his 5^th-place finish on Sunday was far from convincing.

Sergio Perez could be one of the last drivers to discover 2025 fate

The Formula 1 driver’s market is one of the most fascinating forums in top-level sport.

Unlike football where there’s a set transfer window for clubs to buy and sell players, manufacturers can make their move whenever they feel the need to.

Drivers are frequently let go mid-season if they’re not up to scratch and as Ferrari have shown, you can act a year in advance if you think that’s the best play.

Lewis Hamilton’s move to the iconic Italian team has added an extra dimension to a market that was already expected to be very volatile.

With 13 drivers fighting for their futures in the sport and eight teams with at least one seat to fill, the grid could look really different next year.

Sergio Perez is in a vulnerable position for 2025 and may end up being one of the last drivers to discover if he’ll still be driving for Red Bull.

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko will have so many options to choose from and still need to determine whether Max Verstappen plans on seeing out his contract until the end of 2028.

Max Verstappen decision could decide Sergio Perez’s fate

Speaking about the 34-year-old’s future, Hunt said: “I think that he’s probably one of the last drivers to get signed up at the end of this year.

“I think that they’ll play that waiting game just to see what else is available and ultimately it depends on what happens with Max.

“If he does go, then they would need two drivers, don’t they? Or they’ll just keep Perez and get another driver that we mentioned, like an Oscar Piastri or testing the resolve of that McLaren contract that Lando Norris signed.”

Verstappen has a clause in his contract that could see him leave Red Bull before the end of his contract if Helmut Marko departs.

Losing Verstappen and Marko would be a huge blow for the team and they may want Perez to stay in that scenario to provide some continuity.

However, if the Dutchman continues to reiterate his commitment to the team, then that leaves the 34-year-old in a tough spot.

Red Bull might see how the rest of the grid shakes out, meaning Perez would be one of the last drivers to discover his future.

With someone like Carlos Sainz on the market and in the form of his life, that potentially leaves the Mexican in a precarious position.

His situation is very reminiscent of how Perez got the driver alongside Verstappen in the first place…