“I’m led to believe…” - paddock gossip swirls that Sergio Perez must meet one condition to keep Red Bull seat
Perez has been under intense scrutiny for months, with the return of Daniel Ricciaജrdo to Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri sen🙈ding the rumour mill into overdrive.
The first-lap crash that Perez ✃sꦜuffered at his home race in Mexico last weekend added further doubt that he would be retained in 2024.
“He’s got to finish second in the championship, it’s very simple,” Crofty reported about how Perez can retain Red Bull’s faitꦦh.
“The car, the team, have been dominant this season. Th﷽ey’ve been 1 and 2 in the drivers’ championship from the outset.
“But, if Lewis Hamilton hadn🎉’t have been disqualified in Austin, Perez and Hamilton would be level on points.
“There are plenty of points to go.
“The form that Lewis is in, coupled with the form that Sergio is in, makes it look more likely that Lewis will finish secon🐼d in the championship (as a potential first runner-up to not win a race since Ronnie Peterson in 19ꦺ71).
“So, Sergio’s🔥 first task is to finish second in the championshi🌺p.
“If he doesn’t do that, I’m led to believe that the team will ask questions as to why that hasn’t💙 happened.
“And to be fair, they’ve got every right💧 to ask that, given the performance🌊 of Max in that team.”
Perez is 20 poin🤪ts clear of Hamilton, in P2 in the drivers' standings, ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Who could replace Perez at Red Bull?
“I don’t think there’s any chance of Fernando Alonso going to Red ♐Bull,” Crofty clarified, after the Aston Martin driver lashed out at unsubstantiated rumo♐urs that he could be set for a big move.
“Never say never in F1. Maybe he has courted that teamꦆ i꧃n the past.
“If Sergio loses that seat for next season, the likely replacement is Daniel 📖Ricciardo.
“Significant for me, is that Ricciardoไ out-qualified and then out-raced “Sergio [in Mexico]. Not that it was difficult, Sergio retired at the first corner. But he out-qualified 💟Sergio, and is seemingly back to his best.
“You’ve al🐽so got Liam Lawson in the fold. Lawson could step up to “AlphaTauri should Ricciardo go to replace Perez at Red Bull.
“Red Bull have options that don’t include Alonso.
“I get fed up of rumours - there’s enough to report up💃on without making things up!”
Ricciardo, in Brazil this week, played down talks that ✃he could claim Perez's seat.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade co🌞vering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
