Red Bull view £2.5m-a-year F1 rival as ‘part of the family’ as Sergio Perez replacement eyed

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Red Bull have a big decision to make with Sergio Perez continuing to struggle but set to demand a sky-high amount to let the Formula 1 team end the Mexican’s contract.

The 34-year-old is on course to cost the team from Milton Keynes the constructors’ title this season. Red Bull trail McLaren and Ferrari by 49 and 13 points ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Max Verstappen has penned 393 of Red Bull’s 544 points so far this year to Perez’s 151.

Perez has further only scored eight points in the past five rounds after failing to claim any in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Mexico City Grand Prix and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He took one point in the F1 Sprint in Brazil and was in the fight for a podium in Baku before crashing.

Red Bull still view Alex Albon as ‘part of the family’ amid Sergio Perez’s uncertain future

A late crash with Carlos Sainz cost Perez a podium finish in the Azerbaijan GP in his one truly strong round since finishing fourth in the Miami Grand Prix in May. The Mexican’s plight has left Red Bull to rue extending Perez’s contract for 2025 and add an option for 2026 in June.

Yet doubts continue to linger over the Guadalajara native’s future, even if Perez will demand Red Bull pay £16m to terminate his contract early. A few replacements are even on the table with Liam Lawson the favourite to replace Perez but Red Bull are exploring Franco Colapinto.

Christian Horner also met Williams boss James Vowles in Brazil to likely discuss Red Bull’s interest in Colapinto. But reports by Motor Sport Magazine now suggest Williams’ other star may be an option as Red Bull Alex Albon rate highly and still view him as ‘part of the family’.

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Albon has not been an official part of the Red Bull family since he joined Williams to return to Formula 1 in 2022. He left their stable to join the Grove natives one year after Albon lost his drive with Red Bull to Perez, having struggled to match Verstappen as teammates in 2020.

Red Bull still rate Albon highly and never questioned his potential when they brought Perez in after leaving Racing Point. Instead, while they believed the 28-year-old would come good, Red Bull accepted Albon lacked the experience to partner Verstappen with a demanding car.

Red Bull would face paying Williams a huge fee to re-sign Alex Albon

Red Bull are not currently considering Albon as a replacement for Perez in a reversal of their decision at the end of 2020. But despite having no official ties, Red Bull still feel Albon is one of their own. The former Red Bull Junior Team prospect has a contract at Williams into 2027.

READ MORE: Williams star Alex Albon’s life outside F1 from net worth, girlfriend to parents

Williams locked Albon down with a £2.5m-a-year contract this May to fend off the threat of interest as his previous deal expired in 2025. The Grove team also faced the threat of Albon trying to leave before Perez renewed and as Mercedes eyed Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.

A return to Red Bull as soon as 2025 could have even been on the cards as Albon tried to get out of his contract with Williams. The London-born Thai’s camp sought to explore if it would be possible to leave after other seats became available, but his buyout clause was too much.