Sergio Perez sends defiant social media message after surviving Red Bull vote of confidence

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Sergio Perez will continue to fight for his Formula 1 future when the season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of next week. Perez just about survived beyond the summer break.

Red Bull bosses met following the Belgian GP to make a decision about their driver lineup. Max Verstappen thought he’d have a new teammate by the time he arrived at Zandvoort.

This came after Perez’s brutal run of 28 points in eight Grand Prix weekends, one that revived the battle for the constructors’ championship. McLaren are just 42 behind ahead of the final 10 races and have a strong chance of dethroning the holders.

But Liberty Media intervened to help Perez, pointing out that there would be a huge drop in revenue at the Mexico City Grand Prix in October if he lost his place on the grid. Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim also played a role in the 34-year-old staying put.

The team feel as if Perez isn’t solely to blame for his recent struggles. They want to make changes to his car in the hope of extracting an improvement.

Red Bull could take upgrades off Perez’s RB20 in the knowledge that he was much more comfortable at the start of the season. He finished on the podium four times in the first five races, though the Bulls enjoyed a significant advantage over the field in that period.

Sergio Perez expects to see out the season with Red Bull

Writing on his X account, Perez issued a defiant message. He sounded like a man who fully expects to be driving for Red Bull come the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“Already miss being out on track,” he wrote in a post that was accompanied by footage of his fastest lap from Spa. “We’ll go all out for the second half of the season.”

Perez only signed a new contract with Red Bull in June, ostensibly keeping him at Milton Keynes until the end of 2026. However, the team included multiple exit routes, pointing to a lack of total faith.

Even if the Mexican makes it into 2025, he’ll have to convince Christian Horner and co. to trigger their option for 2026. It’s also worth noting that they need a compelling replacement if they’re to make a change, and there may currently be doubts over the inexperienced Liam Lawson and the inconsistent Daniel Ricciardo.

When Red Bull could now axe Sergio Perez after ‘stay of execution’

According to one journalist, Red Bull’s decision amounts to a ‘stay of execution’ rather than complete backing. Without a marked improvement, speculation around a short-term change will continue.

Red Bull could reassess the situation post-Singapore, when they have a four-week gap before the Austin-Mexico-Brazil tripleheader. The hope is that Perez delivers at Baku, where he’s won twice, and Marina Bay, where he prevailed in 2022.

F1TV’s Will Buxton thinks Perez could lose his seat for the last three races if the championship is still at risk. Red Bull may be continuously evaluating their options.

If he does lose the seat, then his prospects of continuing in F1 elsewhere are scant. Audi have little interest in Perez, and they were one of the only realistic destinations.