Red Bull’s surprising message to Max Verstappen’s family about Sergio Perez before deciding his future

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Red Bull Racing will line up with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as their two drivers at the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of the summer break.

When the chequered flag flew at the Belgian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez crossed the line in 8^th place and while he was promoted one position after George Russell’s disqualification, it was a long way off where Red Bull were expecting the Mexican to finish.

Perez has struggled in qualifying recently, making too many mistakes and finding it difficult to extract speed out of the RB20 at a key time.

However, he showed at the Belgian Grand Prix that even when he was starting from the front of the grid, he was finding it very difficult to get the most out of the car.

Red Bull had a meeting on Monday to discuss Perez’s future and the signs weren’t looking good for the Mexican.

Perez has performance clauses in his contract that he hadn’t met and that allowed Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to make a change but they ultimately decided against making that decision.

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

At the moment, Red Bull are heavily relying on Max Verstappen to score enough points to keep their Constructors’ Championship hopes alive.

They still have a 42-point lead over McLaren although Andrea Stella’s team have been closing the gap gradually over recent races.

Verstappen’s influence in the team is very important and a report from F1 Insider has shared what his family was told before they met to discuss whether to continue with Perez.

Jos Verstappen has been absent from the paddock for some time and when he has attended races this year – such as in Austria – Max hasn’t always lived up to expectations.

But keeping them onside is vital for Red Bull, especially as they know Mercedes are keen on signing Verstappen.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

What Red Bull told Max Verstappen’s family before making Sergio Perez decision

Red Bull chiefs Helmut Marko and Christian Horner were among the senior staff deciding whether it was time to partner Verstappen with a new driver for the final 10 race weekends of the campaign.

However, Marko and Horner wanted different drivers to partner with Verstappen which may have played a part in the team ultimately sticking with Perez.

There wasn’t a standout candidate among Red Bull’s crop of drivers although those discussions are likely to begin again before the end of the season with Perez’s seat in 2025 far from secure despite signing another contract in June.

However, before the meeting about the Mexican’s future, F1 Insider believed that Horner and Marko both provided ‘clear’ statements to the Verstappen family about what was set to happen.

It’s believed that they said: “Perez is gone, Max Verstappen will get a new teammate at the first race after the summer break at the home race in Zandvoort.”

Liberty Media also had their say on what to do with Perez and it would be fascinating to know what changed their mind between talking to Verstappen’s family and going against that decision.

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

Max Verstappen’s camp still holds significant sway within Red Bull

It would be a surprise if Perez would have kept his seat if Verstappen had an issue driving alongside the 34-year-old.

However, Verstappen supported Perez after the Belgian Grand Prix, pointing the blame at the car rather than his teammate.

The most obvious driver outside of the Red Bull group to potentially replace Perez would have been Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard has now signed a deal with Williams but was holding out for an offer from a top team.

However, Verstappen’s camp was said to have an issue with Sainz potentially being his teammate due to their time together at Toro Rosso.

He would also be an immediate upgrade on Perez and it’s unlikely that Verstappen would have enjoyed being challenged by a stronger driver going forward given his undeniable status as Red Bull’s number-one status.