Is Sergio Perez doing enough to save his Red Bul seat in 2025? Not according to Ralf Schumacher, at least. After a disappointing 2023 season where he failed to score even half the points tally of Max Verstappen, many believed that Red Bull would let go of Sergio Perez at the end of his current contract in 2024. However, the Mexican driver has come back stronger this season, having finished right behind his teammate in 3 out of the 4 races so far.

With Christian Horner repeatedly saying that the Red Bull seat is Perez’s to lose, it seems like Checo might be able to get an extension based on his recent performances. However, Ralf Schumacher thinks that Red Bull will not want to keep a driver who finishes too far behind his teammate in almost every race.

If you look at the three races Sergio Perez has finished in second behind Max Verstappen this season, you’ll notice a trend. Perez has not been anywhere close to his teammate. In Bahrain, he was 22+ seconds behind Max, in Saudi, the gap was 13+ seconds and in Japan also the gap was 12+ seconds. So let’s say if any team were to come up with a significantly better car in 2025 that can match the pace of the Red Bull, Perez would probably become a liability and the team would be left with only one car to fight for both championships.

And that won’t be an ideal situation for Red Bull. In a recent conversation with Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher, brother of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher said, “In the race [Verstappen and Perez] are two worlds apart in the same car. A team can’t afford that in the long term.“

But if not Perez, then who? Luckily, Ralf Schumacher gave us the answer to that question as well.

Ralf Schumacher picks Carlos Sainz as the perfect teammate for Max Verstappen

Later in the conversation, Ralf highlighted Carlos Sainz as the best candidate to replace Perez at Red Bull. Sainz, who is set to leave Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, has shown his skills on the track with three podium finishes, including a victory in Australia. Schumacher believes that Sainz has what it takes to go up against a driver like Verstappen because he has shown that in the past.

“I think Carlos Sainz has the best chance after the next race,“ Ralf noted. “Sainz is used to driving next to strong drivers and he knows that the Max Verstappen era must end at some point. He knows that.“ He also pointed to the racing intelligence shown by Sainz as another major factor in going up against the likes of Verstappen. “The only question I have is how he handles the [Red Bull] concept,” he added.

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Do you agree with Ralf’s assessment that Carlos Sainz is the best driver option for Red Bull in 2025? Share your insights in the comments below.