Liberty Media may have influenced keeping 35-race driver on the F1 grid this season

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Sergio Perez isn’t the only Formula 1 driver who may have received a helping hand from Liberty Media. The sport’s commercial rights holders reportedly urged Red Bull to retain his services.

Perez was facing the axe after the Belgian GP, where he slipped from second on the grid to eighth at the chequered flag. But it emerged the following day that the world champions would stick by him.

Liberty feared a major drop in revenue at the Mexico City GP in October if Perez lost his place on the grid. While they aren’t in a position to instruct Red Bull, they apparently aired their concerns.

The Bulls’ executive director Helmut Marko has denied this. The official line is that Red Bull want to do more to help the 34-year-old rather than giving up on him.

But the situation will remain under active review. Will Buxton reckons Perez could lose his seat for the final three races if the constructors’ championship is at risk.

That would allow him to compete in his home race for what could be the final time. Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim also intervened on Perez’s behalf, according to the German media.

Liberty Media may have helped Logan Sargeant stay in Formula 1

Former F1 driver Marc Surer says it’s ‘conceivable’ that Liberty also lobbied for Logan Sargeant. Surer drove in 82 Grands Prix during the late 1970s and 1980s.

Sargeant joined the F1 grid in 2023 after impressing in Formula 2 but he’s done little to prove he’s worthy of a place. He’s scored just one point in his 35 races and lost out to Alex Albon in virtually every single meaningful session.

Sargeant already knows he’ll lose his Williams seat, and almost certainly his place in F1, for 2025. James Vowles has brought in Carlos Sainz to partner Albon.

But he’s also faced the threat of dropping off the grid mid-season. He featured in the Miami Grand Prix in May but could miss the two remaining US events in Austin and Las Vegas.

“Logan stayed in Formula 1 for so long without showing any performance,” Surer said on the formel1.de YouTube channel. “So Liberty Media influences it in the background. Let’s say it’s conceivable.”

James Vowles shares ‘blunt truth’ about Logan Sargeant seeing out 2024 at Williams

The ‘blunt truth’ is that Vowles may sack Sargeant during the season if he continues to struggle like he did at Spa last time out. The 23-year-old qualified eight spots below Albon in 18th and only gained one place in the race.

One thing that may save the American, aside from any Liberty influence, is the lack of an obvious alternative. Esteban Ocon had a seat-fitting at Williams but he’s now signed for rivals Haas, so there’s little incentive to try and extract him from Alpine.

Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli will race for Mercedes next year. Williams requested special FIA dispensation to run Antonelli in an FP1 session, but those plans seem to have been shelved.

Had he been a candidate for 2025, it would have made sense to evaluate him. But now Vowles would be doing little more than training up a driver for his old team.