In the final year of his contract, Sergio Perez is fighting for his future at Red Bull, but there might be another chance for the Mexican star to succeed outside of Milton Keynes.
If Sergio Perez is unable to sign a new deal with Red Bull, he may be considered for the Audi F1 project. The Mexican driver is attempting to win a new agreement but under pressure from the likes of Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda, who have been two of the standout performers of the 2024 season thus far
In the event that Perez leaves Red Bull at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign, he will be a “candidate” for Audi, according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport. Although the German constructor won’t be entering Formula One until 2026, the team will be starting to shift away from the Sauber brand in 2025, and they will seek to establish their dominance over the driver combination in advance.
Perez stands a decent chance of securing a drive with the Swiss team if he believes that Sauber represents a feasible alternative to Red Bull. At the end of the season, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas’ contracts expire, and neither player is putting up strong arguments for new agreements.
That’s not to suggest Sauber is without possibilities; Sainz has been widely regarded as the team’s best option, while the Ingolstadt team has long admired Nico Hulkenberg, who would represent the Audi brand in Germany.
Fortunately for Perez, it looks like he won’t have to rely on this route to continue in Formula One. With three P2 finishes and a P5 with damage in Melbourne, the 34-year-old has had a great start to 2024 and is making a compelling argument for staying in Red Bull’s second seat.