F1 fans now think Red Bull should buy £31k-a-week driver out of his contract to replace Sergio Perez

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The British Grand Prix was a standout weekend for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes but there was another driver who caught the eye of Formula 1 fans.

Sergio Perez looks like he might end up getting dropped by Red Bull midway through the season if he does not meet certain performance clauses in his contract.

The Mexican has endured a tough qualifying run in the last five races having failed to make Q3 on four occasions, while his points haul is only 15 compared to Max Verstappen’s 119.

Red Bull faces the question of whether it should replace him if his form does not improve, with him emulating a habit that he previously fell into last season.

After a performance during the British GP weekend, fans took to social media to voice who they think should take over the seat from Perez.

Fans want Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez with Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg lived up to his reputation as being one of the best qualifiers on the grid after he produced a lap that was good enough for sixth on the grid in the changing conditions.

He went on to finish sixth in the race for Haas, clinching their highest points haul of the season so far at Silverstone.

It has been a stellar season for the German driver, who is set to join Sauber next season before they switch to Audi in 2026. Fans believe Red Bull should poach him for the reminder of the season.

“Call me crazy but Hulkenberg to red bull isn’t a bad suggestion… if they won’t bring in Tsunoda or Ricciardo from VCARB they might as well bring him in,” said one fan.

One fan wrote: “The numbers speak for themselves. Mercedes had two wins to Red Bull’s one win. McLaren could have (and should have?!) won all three of those races. Hulkenberg has scored more points than a Ferrari and Red Bull [driver].”

More fans pointed out the points disparity: “Hulkenberg more points than Perez. At Red Bull they will soon be able to win the constructors’ title.”

“I do not understand how Checo still has a contract. Hulkenberg scored more points in his Haas than Checo has in the last 6 races in his Red Bull. If there’s a reason to replace a Red Bull driver (who get replaced for seemingly any reason), this is it.”

“The official campaign to get Nico Hulkenberg to the second Red Bull seat starts here.”

Another meanwhile was opposed to the idea due to the imminent Audi seat: “Hulkenberg should stay with sauber when it converts to Audi will be a dominant team. Red bull is a backward step for him.”

Should Red Bull consider Nico Hulkenberg?

Hulkenberg is often overlooked by teams, in part due to his unspectacular results which are fairly average for the teams he has driven for.

It was an impressive comeback during the COVID years when he needed to substitute Perez and Lance Stroll at Racing Point (now Aston Martin), and his drive at Haas has been a success.

The main issue with a driver like Hulkenberg is his height. At 6ft he is one of the tallest drivers on the grid, making him slightly heavier compared to those who are smaller. F1 is all about marginal gains and the teams are usually pretty strict when it comes to this being a factor.

It is why Red Bull has a reputation for building cars that have no inch spared, with Mark Webber famously needing cut-out shrouds so he could turn the wheel properly when he raced for the team. Both their current drivers measure under 6ft, so it would likely pose a challenge for him to get into the RB20 without issues.