Red Bull set to drop Sergio Perez after the F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Reports
As per reports, Red Bull is all set to drop Sergio Perez at the end of the 2024 season, meaning that the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the Mexican driver's final race with the defending champions. Perez has been under constant threat of losing his F1 seat amid a series of underwhelming performances, and recent reports claim his eventual departure at the end of the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.
Perez had a massive start to the 2024 season, where he claimed four podiums in five races and six Top-5 finishes in six races. However, he began to lose his mojo after the 2024 Miami Grand Prix in May, and things haven't been the same for the Guadalajara-born driver.
The Mexican driver registered seven finishes outside points and did not claim a podium or a top-five finish after Miami. His downward spiral continued throughout the season and has cost Red Bull their place in the Constructors' Championship.
As things stand, a report from Planet F1 claimed that Red Bull is all set to part ways with Perez at the end of this season. The Christian Horner-led team can blame him for their current state of form after the 34-year-old massively disappointed the top brass this season.
Max Verstappen single-handedly took Red Bull's fight to McLaren and Ferrari with 429 points, nine victories, and 14 podiums. Compared to him, Perez only has 152 points and four podiums to his tally.
Sergio Perez currently sits in P8 of the Drivers' Championship and is the only driver in the top four teams to not win a race this season. In a nutshell, Red Bull, who was the best team in the ground effect era, failed to seal their third consecutive Constructors' title.
Red Bull ruled out signing Franco Colapinto as Sergio Perez's replacement
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner recently shared his thoughts on signing Franco Colapinto as Sergio Perez's replacement. Here's what he said about the Argentine's future at Milton Keynes.
"He, for sure, is a talent that’s looking to earn his permanent place in Formula 1," Horner said. "We have a great pool of talent within the Red Bull junior team, and I’m sure Franco will find his way onto the grid in the future."
Red Bull is currently out of the Constructors' Championship contention against McLaren, as they are 59 points behind the leaders. This is because only a maximum of 44 points (1-2 finish and fastest lap point) are available in Abu Dhabi.
Although P2 against Ferrari is somewhat possible, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez need to come out with 1-2 in the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, and Ferrari needs to wrap up their race with five or fewer points, which is highly unlikely.