‘Many people’ in F1 surprised Red Bull snubbed 206-race driver by staying loyal to Sergio Perez

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Red Bull Racing staff will be coming away from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix with smiles on their faces after witnessing one of the greatest drives in recent Formula 1 history.

Max Verstappen had a huge job on his hands to prevent Lando Norris from closing the gap even further in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Red Bull star was starting 16 positions behind Norris after being caught out by the third of five red flags in qualifying.

Having qualified 12th and after being forced to take a five-place grid penalty, nobody expected Verstappen to finally end his 10-race drought without a victory and potentially confirm his fourth world championship.

His lead isn’t unassailable yet, but a win in Las Vegas would hand Verstappen another title.

In stark contrast, Sergio Perez had another race weekend to forget as speculation remains over his Formula 1 future.

Perez managed to score a point in the Sprint Race, but he failed to finish in the top 10 during the Grand Prix, further harming Red Bull’s chances in the Constructors’ Championship.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag Podcast, journalist Andrew Benson admitted that ‘many people’ in the sport have been left surprised that Red Bull never made a move for Carlos Sainz.

Although Sainz struggled during his 206th Grand Prix in Brazil, he proved at the previous race in Mexico City that he’s capable of winning races where Perez no longer is.

‘Many people’ in Formula 1 surprised Red Bull didn’t move for Carlos Sainz

Talking about Perez’s future, Benson said: “They didn’t go too early, they knew the situation. Sainz lost his Ferrari drive before the season even started.

“Sainz was an option for Red Bull from February, they just chose not to take it.

“Now, from a performance point of view, you have to say that’s the wrong decision.

“When Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were teammates at Toro Rosso, it’s a long time ago now and obviously Verstappen’s improved as a driver, but probably so has Carlos Sainz. They were pretty even, particularly in qualifying, Verstappen probably had the edge in races then.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

“You would have to say or you would expect that Sainz would be an upgrade on Perez, but they didn’t want to take him because they felt that it might be too disruptive of the team harmony.

“Many people have questioned that decision because it’s not just about now or next year, it’s also about what happens after next year.

“If Max Verstappen leaves to go to Mercedes, for example, at the end of 2025, which is a possibility, then what do they do?

“They’ve got Perez and somebody else, which might be George Russell or somebody. They potentially put themselves in quite a sticky spot, but they’re also in a sticky spot in terms of wanting to replace him, because what are their options?”

Sergio Perez fuming during Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend

Perez was furious during qualifying in Sao Paulo as he was eliminated alongside his teammate in Q2.

They timed his final run wrong and he like Verstappen was caught out by Lance Stroll’s red flag.

His mood didn’t improve during the race when he couldn’t find a way past Lewis Hamilton during the final stages of the race to score a point.

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

Helmut Marko isn’t enthusiastic about one potential Perez replacement, but Sainz is on a different level to the likes of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda who have been touted as alternatives in the main Red Bull team.

Plans to replace Perez are being considered by Red Bull, although whether they happen before the final triple-header of the season or during the winter break is another matter.