Formula E chief explains why F1 has been ‘tremendously unfair’ to Red Bull driver Sergio Perez

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Sergio Perez is on the brink of losing his seat in Formula 1 having underperformed at Red Bull in 2024.

The Mexican started the year by finishing on the podium on four occasions with Max Verstappen but since the Chinese Grand Prix, he has not been able to finish inside the top three.

Perez has now slipped down to eighth place in the Drivers’ Championship and is over 150 points behind Verstappen, which has reportedly put the Mexican in breach of his Red Bull contract.

His camp is convinced that his contract for 2025 will enable him to see out another season at the Milton Keynes squad, however, Christian Horner has indicated that Perez could be axed if his results do not improve.

Formula E chief Alberto Longo, who fielded Perez when he was in GP2 (now F2), believes the Mexican is being unfairly treated when speaking on the Soy Motor Twitch stream.

Alberto Longo explains why F1 is being ‘tremendously unfair’ to Sergio Perez

Perez’s seat was under threat for much of the year after a crash-ridden first part of the European leg, culminating in big shunts at Monaco and Hungary.

Red Bull’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship was subsequently slashed by McLaren, whose drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris consistently finished inside the points.

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Now, Red Bull faces the prospect of Ferrari finishing ahead of them in the title race as they focus on ensuring Verstappen wins his fourth title.

Longo believes Perez has been used as a scapegoat for their recent problems at Red Bull, which they have only just started to fix with their US GP upgrade.

“I love Checo, I adore Carlos Slim. I think the F1 world has been tremendously unfair to Checo. I have had him as a pilot for two or three years in Formula 2 and I will not get tired of saying it. He was a driver with an absolutely unique talent,” said Longo.

The ‘serious’ amount of money it would cost to break Sergio Perez contract

Several sources claim that Red Bull would need to pay around £10 million to break Perez’s current contract with the team.

Liam Lawson would likely be lined up as a replacement having taken over from Daniel Ricciardo for the latter part of the season at RB.

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His pace in the midfield and experience having already contested some races last year means it would be a good fit, even against Verstappen in the same team.

Franco Colapinto could potentially end up being his replacement at RB, although some complications might prevent any deal from happening.