What Red Bull have now ‘noticed’ about Sergio Perez’s contract as they consider Liam Lawson move

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Red Bull extended Sergio Perez’s contract in June in the hope of boosting his confidence. Nearly six months later, they surely regret it.

Perez delivered the results required at the start of the season. He finished second behind Max Verstappen in three of the first five races, and third in another.

There was a wobble at Imola, where he failed to reach Q3 for the first time all season and finished a disappointing eighth. That preceded an alarming Q1 elimination in Monaco and a huge first-lap crash with the two Haas cars.

Christian Horner believed that a contract extension would reassure Perez, who was in the final year of his deal. But he’s found himself in a worsening spiral ever since.

Had Red Bull waited, it’s likely they never would have handed him a new deal at all. His performances, going back to last year, simply didn’t merit it.

Indeed, they may already have confirmed that he’d be leaving the team at the end of the season. But now they’re assessing whether they can escape from the commitment they made in the summer.

Red Bull have realised it will be ‘difficult’ to get out of Sergio Perez contract

Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt discussed Perez’s contract situation on the latest episode of the Formel Schmidt podcast. Previous reports have claimed that Red Bull included an exit clause.

It’s said that Red Bull can fire Perez because he fell too far behind Verstappen before the summer break. Indeed, it’s unlikely that Horner and Helmut Marko would openly discuss removing the Mexican if they didn’t think it possible.

By contrast, Perez’s manager believes his deal is watertight. There could be a legal battle in the offing if Red Bull try to break the agreement.

Asked if Perez would see out the season, he said: “There’s always a chance if you pull out all the stops now. I think they’ve noticed it’s damn difficult in terms of the contract. They have to ask themselves, ‘Are we doing ourselves a favour?’”

How Liam Lawson ‘ridiculed’ Sergio Perez at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

If Perez does survive over the winter, it’s possible Red Bull could make another mid-season driver change in 2025. They’re a notoriously impatient team, having axed Daniel Ricciardo with a quarter of the 2024 campaign still to go.

Liam Lawson must convince them in the three remaining races that he’d be a clear upgrade next to Verstappen. He’s scored points in two of his three Grands Prix so far and reached the top-10 shoot-out twice in Brazil (a Sprint weekend).

BBC F1 commentator Harry Benjamin says Lawson may have endangered his Red Bull chances by being overly ‘punchy’. He gave Perez the middle finger after they collided at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

And speaking over the team radio in Brazil, Lawson ‘ridiculed’ Perez over his driving. This seems to be a conscious effort to discredit the veteran as he aims to take his seat.