Ralf Schumacher knows when Red Bull will drop Sergio Perez after nightmare Mexico City Grand Prix

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Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez couldn’t have imagined a return to the Mexico City Grand Prix going worse than last year, but somehow that’s what ended up playing out.

Last season, Sergio Perez managed to qualify fifth but his race over at the first corner after making an ill-advised move down the outside of Charles Leclerc.

Yuki Tsunoda was the driver who crashed similarly this year, and it appeared as though Perez had a fantastic getaway after a nightmare qualifying session saw him eliminated in Q1.

The Mexican driver managed to get his Red Bull up to 10th on the hard tyres, but he started outside his grid box and was given a penalty as a result.

Perez battled with Red Bull hopeful Liam Lawson and picked up significant damage when the pair clashed in the turn four and five complex.

This meant Perez had a mountain to climb to try and score points and after three pit stops and a failed attempt to steal the fastest lap from Ferrari, he came home 17th and last.

It’s a worrying trend for Perez who has a contract at Red Bull for 2025 with an option for the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

However, with each passing race, it looks more and more unlikely that he’ll see out the end of his current deal.

Ralf Schumacher was covering the race for Sky Germany and believes Perez may not even last until the end of the season.

This echoes reports that Perez is unlikely to finish the campaign with Red Bull despite his insistence after the race that he would be racing in Mexico again next year.

Ralf Schumacher believes Sergio Perez will be dropped before the end of the season

Talking about the Mexican’s future, Schumacher said: “‘He won’t drive a metre in the car next year anyway, I’m pretty sure of that.

“I don’t even think he’ll finish the season. Red Bull will make a decision after this weekend.

“There’s no point in any of this any more, not for either side. Not even for Perez.

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“The poor man is under so much pressure, he’s not going home beaming with joy.

“This is supposed to be fun. And above all financially, it’s a disaster for the team, not just for the mechanics.

“If you want to change something now against Ferrari, then you have to change something quickly.”

Who could replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull if he’s dropped this season?

The worry for Perez is that Red Bull are perfectly set up to replace one of their drivers at a moment’s notice.

Both Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are attached to central contracts that would allow Red Bull to seamlessly swap their drivers at any moment.

Tsunoda has been suggested as a candidate for Perez’s seat, but a topsy-turvy race weekend in Mexico is unlikely to have done him any favours.

The Japanese driver was rapid in practice before crashing in qualifying and failing to make the first corner.

Red Bull have a strong junior program and they would likely call upon Isack Hadjar to step in at RB if either of their drivers are promoted into the Red Bull team before the end of the year.

RB also have their eye on Franco Colapinto for 2025 as an option in case Lawson or Tsunoda are called upon to join Verstappen next season.