Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have displayed some really quick driving in the 2023 season. That was continued at the beginning of this year too. But things have taken a wild turn with Max Verstappen not coming first. This happened three times last year, but he was always high in the points table and Sergio Perez followed him with a 1-2 finish in the drivers cup. The latter had also displayed some high moments in 2023 and even 2024. But, the Australian Grand Prix was a disaster for Red Bull. Max Verstappen retired from the race on the 4th lap and Perez went on to finish P5. While this is still within the points, there were higher expectations from the Mexican driving the RB20.

Sergio Perez: Not the best fit for Red Bull

The Australian GP didn’t go according to Red Bull’s plans, to say the least. Not only did Max Verstappen get a DNF, but Sergio Perez also failed to impress the fans. Finishing at P5, the race was uneventful for the team and that’s led to questions regarding whether Perez might be the right driver alongside Max Verstappen.

The Checkered Flag Podcast invited McLaren engineer, Marc Priestly to talk about his takeaway from the Melbourne race. About the race, Priestly said, “Today’s race, I think, unfortunately, confirmed that Perez isn’t the right man to be in that number two seat at Red Bull. That is overarching.” The racer who is often found right behind Max Verstappen, finished fifth and this led Priestly to believe that Checo might not be the one for the team.

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Priestly continued, “What this shows, if something like this happens again, where not only as we’re stepping out of the race, but it’s tighter than normal between the top teams Red Bull and Ferrari. Even if Perez started in third, he would have been overtaken by Leclerc, or he would have fallen back through the field, and that’s the bigger issue here.” 

While the engineer has his reservations about Perez, there are already a few drivers on the grid who are likely to replace him.

Who will replace Checo in Red Bull for 2025?

Currently, there are a few potential drivers that can take the wheel in 2025. There have been many rumors of Fernando Alonso joining the team. While this might seem counter-intuitive, having a world champion already on their team, there’s nothing wrong with it either. Fernando Alonso is not a team player and maybe what Max Verstappen needs is a driver to push his limits.

Another driver who might replace Perez is Carlos Sainz Jr. The winner of the Australian Grand Prix, Sainz is clearly showing that Ferrari replaced the wrong driver by being a step ahead of Charles Leclerc. Being replaced by Lewis Hamilton might have hurt the driver as he is out for revenge on his team.

Red Bull’s B team drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda are also in line to take the seat. With a recent interview of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo going viral for the right reasons, rumors are surfacing to showcase the friendly rivalry between the two drivers. Yuki Tsunoda is also fighting hard to get the Red Bull promotion, which means dethroning Checo.

That being said, who do you think will go to Red Bull in 2025? Or will the team decide to continue with Checo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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