Remember how by the end of the 2023 F1 season, everyone started questioning who Red Bull would sign alongside Max Verstappen after Sergio Perez’s disappointing end to the season? But now, Perez is being considered to re-sign with Red Bull after a great start to the 2024 F1 season. An F1 pundit has revealed why the Mexican will be vital for Red Bull as F1 goes into the 2026 regulation changes. 

Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull has been a hot topic in the F1 community. So much so that Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda have all been rumored to replace the Mexican. Checo on the other hand has put the rumors to bed, finishing in P2 in three races out of the four, and Melbourne being the outlier as Perez had a tear-off stuck to his car’s underground. And Martin Brundle has now come out to suggest the pivotal role that Checo will play as the 2026 regulations inch closer. 

The 2026 regulations are a bug unknown to the F1 team. For the first time since 2014, there’s going to be such a drastic change to the engines and the chassis. The hybrid power unit is going to get 50% of its power from the electrical components and there are propositions of making the car narrower and lighter. We’ve seen in the last three seasons after the ground effect cars were introduced, how important the driver’s feedback and experience is. Look at Aston Martin, who signed Sebastian Vettel and then Fernando Alonso, and have made huge leaps in terms of performance.

Martin Brundle highlighted the same, suggesting how Sergio Perez’s experience and feedback will be crucial to Red Bull going into the 2026 season. Talking about how Checo currently suits Red Bull, Brundle on the Sky Sports F1 podcast said, “ He’s the perfect driver in that seat at the moment. The reason why Sergio has been in the car so long is because he suits Red Bull and what they need at the moment, and I think that’s not particularly changed unless they think someone else has come in and they must take the opportunity.” 

Brundle then talked about how Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman have shown that these young F2 drivers have the potential for an F1 seat. However, circling back to why Perez’s role is vital for Red Bull going into the 2026 season, he added, “Right now, moving into this great unknown of 2026 car, certainty and experience and feedback will be pivotal and a team like Red Bull might just think, this is working, especially if they win both championships and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

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But will Red Bull re-sign Checo? What are the conditions for Sergio to be in the hunt for the Red Bull seat? What does Perez make of his F1 future?

Sergio Perez Sets a Timeline to get Confirmation on F1 Future: “Within a month to really know what I’m doing next year.”

Sergio Perez’s current Red Bull contract is valid till the end of the 2024 F1 season. And to re-sign with Red Bull, Horner has suggested that Checo needs to do enough to earn the Red Bull contract extension but doesn’t have any set criteria for the same. However, Checo’s recent performances speak for themselves, and Sergio Pere after the Japanese GP has come out to suggest that he expects that within a month’s time, he’ll know whether he will be driving in 2025, and if yes, then for which team.

Sergio Perez talking about his F1 future said, “I am pretty relaxed about it. My main focus is in F1 and whatever comes next, I’m really pleased with what I’ve done in the sport so far. I believe it will be a matter of time, obviously, the driver market is moving and the next few weeks are going to be a lot of movement for sure, so I expect within a month to really know what I’m doing next year.”

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What do you think? Will Red Bull retain Sergio Perez for the upcoming regulations or go with a younger driver? Will Max Verstappen’s exit rumors have any sort of effect on this decision? Let us know in the comments below.