Williams could hire 33-year-old F1 driver as team leader if Alex Albon leaves

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The future of Sergio Perez has been one of the most talked about topics over the winter break and Williams might end up offering a chance to stay on the Formula 1 grid in 2025.

Red Bull have plenty of options on the table when Sergio Perez’s contract expires at the end of the season.

Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Ben Anderson has suggested that the Mexican driver might be the perfect person to step into the Grove-based team heading into next year.

Plenty has been said about Perez’s performances last season and it’s a sign of how fast the car is that he was getting criticised for finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship.

He was well off the pace of teammate Max Verstappen, but no driver has consistently been able to keep up with the Dutchman.

However, if his performances drop again this year, then Red Bull will look at alternative options when his deal runs out.

It means Perez will have to look elsewhere for 2025 as well, and Williams could be the perfect next step.

He’s already been warned about a move to Alpine and there are other drivers at the top of the queue for Audi ahead of their entry into the sport with Sauber in 2026.

There are even suggestions that this might be his final year in F1, but he’s far too good a driver not to have options on the table if Red Bull decide to part ways with him.

Perez could be perfect Williams lead driver for 2025

Discussing James Vowles’s team, journalist Edd Straw said: “Given Logan Sargeant held onto the seat for this year by his fingertips, the question there is whether it’s an all-new driver line-up and that’s a very interesting question.

Anderson added: “So, I then think in that scenario, because obviously we are talking about Williams, they go for [Sergio] Perez who was linked with them many moons ago.

“I think Perez would be a decent option to slot in there as the experienced guy, the number one, give him the love that he’s been lacking or feels he’s been lacking and then they also replace Sargeant because I just don’t think he’s good enough.”

Logan Sargeant is under a lot of pressure already as he was so far off the pace of Alex Albon last year.

Williams need a strong driver to take the team to the next level and Perez now has title-winning experience.

The pressure might be taken off his shoulders slightly and that’s when he really thrived at Racing Point.

It will be interesting to see how the grid shakes out as the season goes on.