Red Bull senior management have 34-year-old at top of their list to replace Sergio Perez

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Red Bull Racing senior management has already decided on a driver at the top of their list to potentially replace Sergio Perez.

Sergio Perez will know he has to perform this season with his contract expiring at the end of the 2024 season.

Writing for the Formula 1 official website, journalist Lawrence Barretto has shared what he’s heard from the championship-winning team as speculation continues about their driver line-up.

One thing that everyone knows going forward is that the partnership between Red Bull and Max Verstappen isn’t going to end for a very long time.

The Dutchman’s contract runs until 2028 and by then he could be challenging Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s record for world championship titles.

One of the hardest jobs in Formula 1 right now is being Verstappen’s teammate.

Red Bull’s management are now considering their options after Sergio Perez was outclassed by the 26-year-old

He helped the team secure their first-ever one-two in Formula 1, but it speaks volumes about the standards of the team that his seat is under threat.

There’s even been a suggestion that he might not make it to the end of this campaign if his results aren’t up to scratch.

It shows just how difficult working in Red Bull is and that might be the key to who ends up replacing the Mexican.

Red Bull management already know who is top of the list to replace Perez

Writing about Red Bull’s potential options, Barretto said: “As it stands, it is believed Ricciardo tops senior management’s list of suitable replacements.

“The Australian will need to get back to his very best this year, and with many insiders feeling his AlphaTauri team will make a big step forward this year in terms of competitiveness, there’s a strong chance he’ll deliver.”

It’s no secret that Daniel Ricciardo has his heart set on a return to Red Bull one day.

At 34, he doesn’t have a huge amount of time left to make the move to a top team, although Hamilton and Fernando Alonso’s longevity suggests otherwise.

Ricciardo already has a relationship with Red Bull’s senior management and that might be the key issue for Perez in retaining his seat.

They were the ones who placed him in the AlphaTauri seat when they let Nyck de Vries go.

The Australian is in pole position right now, but he’s got to outperform a lot of drivers who will also be coveting the best car in F1.