“We have a commitment with both of our drivers to the end of 2024.” This is what Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has said countless times about Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull, especially after Daniel Ricciardo returned to Red Bull hoping to fulfill his fairytale ending. But as much as Horner and Helmut Marko have assured Perez that his seat is safe—at least until he sees out his contract at the end of 2024—he needs to be wary of Ricciardo’s threat. Even more so now that he’s found his way back to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri.

At the start of the season, Checo was practically under no pressure because he was living up to Red Bull’s standards and keeping up with Max Verstappen. But as soon as his performances started taking a dive, pressure from all around started mounting on him, compelling him to make even more errors. And from the time he was competing for the championship more than two months ago till the Hungarian GP, he hasn’t had one clean weekend. And with Ricciardo returning to the grid in Hungary, the Honey Badger is one step closer to Perez’s seat. And despite the affirmations, according to Argentinian F1 journalist Juan Fossaroli, Checo can never be too sure about his contract.

In the F1 Nation podcast after Budapest, Tom Clarkson asked Fossaroli if Ricciardo’s return was weighing in on Checo’s mind and if there’s a chance he might get replaced by the Aussie before 2025. Fossaroli said, “We know what contracts are in Formula 1. Checo knows very well, you know, with McLaren and with Force India—or Racing Point, in that case.” In both cases, he was replaced before the end of his contract, first by Magnussen at McLaren and then by Vettel at Racing Point (now Aston Martin). And according to Fossaroli, “He has to think and perform, forget about Daniel because, I think, it’s the way Red Bull somehow operates.”

He meant that being part of the Red Bull family automatically means a driver is always on their toes. The Argentinian continued, “[Daniel] knew when he joined the Red Bull Drivers’ Program that that’s the way they test you. Putting pressure all the time, they do that. But obviously, if I’m Checo, I will think that Daniel is a menace for my seat.” Ricciardo is intent on returning to Red Bull alongside Verstappen, and after Max’s recent comments, he might want Daniel back too.

Read More: “Stop Looking At Max”: Red Bull Taskmaster Puts Sergio Perez in His Place as He Attempts to Console Him Amid Mounting Verstappen Dominance

Max Verstappen possibly favors Daniel Ricciardo over Sergio Perez

With the Hungarian GP being Ricciardo’s official return to the grid, F1 put Max and Daniel in the same slot for the drivers’ conference. Verstappen was asked if he would be open to having Ricciardo back alongside him, and he said, “Yeah… I mean, I never actually wanted him to leave! If Daniel does well where he is now, then, of course, you have the opportunity to go back up, right? So, it’s all open, to be honest.” It’s not that Max doesn’t like Checo. It’s just that he misses the challenge Daniel brought with him.

Although Max’s comments shouldn’t affect Checo too much, he still can’t get complacent, placing all his trust in Horner and Marko’s promise. Everyone knows no one at Red Bull is 100% safe, and even ex-Red Bull engineer Daniel Drury said what Fossaroli said. According to Drury, “At Red Bull, a two-year contract usually means you have a contract for this year and an option for next year. With Marko, you get a deal for several races, not for several seasons.” 

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Do you think Sergio Perez is safe at Red Bull until 2024?

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