Sergio Pérez has had a solid start to the championship this year, managing to be much closer to Max Verstappen compared to last season and feeling very comfortable with the new RB18 after the regulatory change for 2022.
The Mexican driver is coming off a strong one-two finish behind Verstappen last weekend at Imola, adding to the second place he had achieved at the previous round in Melbourne. Another very notable moment so far was the pole position achieved in Saudi Arabia.
After four grands prix so far this year, Pérez is third in the drivers’ championship with 54 points, five behind Verstappen and 32 behind leader Charles Leclerc.
Checo arrived at Red Bull in the 2021 season and renewed for one more for 2022, so at the moment he has no contract beyond December, unlike a Verstappen who at the beginning of March signed a new agreement with the Milton Keynes team until the end of 2028.
After the successful result of the Emilia Romagna GP, Marko was asked about Pérez’s future and the Austrian indicated that Red Bull will take its time to decide.
“For the summer break, we will make the decision who will be Verstappen’s teammate in 2023,” Marko told Viaplay from the Netherlands.
Marko’s words mean that until August there will be no news about Pérez’s future, so the Mexican will continue “on trial” for at least nine more races, that is, until the Hungarian GP that will be held on July 31 and which is the last appointment before the F1 break in August.
At least on paper, the only possible threat to Pérez’s seat is the Frenchman Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri driver, who comes from a very good 2021 with the Faenza team and whenever he can makes clear his desire to return to Red Bull .
“Pierre has a contract with us until the end of 2023, so there is still time,” Marko said about it. “As always with Red Bull, it’s all about their performance.”
On the other hand, Marko indicated in Sport1 that Pérez’s progress this year with the team has led to the Imola double being a “logical consequence”.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say we are a force,” he said when asked if he thought Red Bull was now a dominant force in F1.
“But, last year, we had the fastest man with Max, now Perez is also integrating himself better and better into the team and understands the car better. So a one-two is the logical consequence at some point.”
