Red Bull Faces Driver Line-up Uncertainty for 2025

Red Bull Racing is contemplating potential changes to its driver line-up ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, as confirmed by team principal Christian Horner. Despite Sergio Perez‘s contract extension for the upcoming year, concerns about his recent performance could lead to reshuffling decisions within the team.

Max Verstappen, Perez’s teammate, is on the brink of clinching his fourth consecutive drivers’ world championship as the Las Vegas Grand Prix approaches. However, Red Bull’s position in the constructors’ championship is less secure, having fallen to third place, 49 points adrift of leaders McLaren, with only three races remaining.

Perez’s form has been under scrutiny as he recorded only 48 points over the last 15 races, a period marked by Red Bull’s dip in the standings. Addressing the situation, Horner acknowledged the critical need for improvement, «Sergio is our driver, and we want to do the very best to get the most out of him. He’s had a really tough run of form over recent weeks and months.»

Horner underscored the importance of strengthening the teamwork between both drivers, «From a constructors’ perspective, we desperately need both cars right up there working as a pair, which we haven’t had. Hopefully, Checo [Perez] can get some strong performances in these last three races,» he told the official F1 channel.

Potential alternatives for Red Bull include promoting drivers from their sister team, RB, such as Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda. Junior drivers Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar are also considered future prospects alongside Williams stand-in Franco Colapinto.

Horner remarked on the team’s strategic flexibility, «All the drivers that we have under contract, we’re very clear on what their contractual situations are. We could, if we so chose, leave it all the way up until Melbourne next year if we want to because we have drivers under contract.»

This decision-making process will advance by evaluating all available information at the end of the current season, providing Red Bull with ample time to decide if a driver shift is necessary ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.