Red Bull chief Helmut Marko is delighted that Sergio Perez has given up on trying to beat team-mate Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman has continued his imperious form into the new season and boasts four wins from the first five Grands Prix. And team-mate Perez’s form has improved too with a quartet of podium appearances to show for his efforts so far.
It is the sort of form the Mexican needs to show if he is to keep hold of his seat. His Red Bull contract expires at the end of the year and, because of his underwhelming form last term, he came into the new campaign up against it.
But his upturn in form has coincided with an absence of statements from Perez about wanting to get the better of Verstappen. And Red Bull super adviser Marko is pleased to see that the 34-year-old is no longer putting too much pressure on himself.
In his Speedweek column, the Austrian wrote: “What I’m also happy about is that Sergio Perez is showing stronger performances in this first part of the season than he did a year ago. Checo no longer goes into the race with the claim that he absolutely wants to beat Max.
“By this I also mean that in 2023 he almost desperately went his own way when it came to voting if the speed wasn’t right. So he tried to get closer to Max in a technical way with a different set-up. He has given that up.
“Perez is now taking roughly the same route as Verstappen when it comes to voting. As a result, he loses less time and is significantly better, especially in the qualifying, than in 2023.
There is also little to complain about in the races – without the unfortunate timing of the safety car phases, he would probably have finished second in China. But when he’s stuck in traffic, he’s less able to exploit his qualities as a tyre whisperer. Instead, he had to work his way forward, and that usually always comes down to the tyres.”
Still, Perez’s seat is not yet secure. The Mexican declared earlier this month that a renewal was just weeks away and hoped to agree a new multi-year contract – but Red Bull see no reason to rush their decision and definitely do not want to commit to the 34-year-old for too long.
If he can continue his strong form, the offer of a one-year extension seems likely. But Red Bull may choose to go in a different direction for 2026 and they are interested in bringing former driver Alex Albon back, having been impressed with his fine form since joining Williams.
