“They’ve never rated him!” Sergio Perez replacement theory swatted away

A touted replacement for Sergio Perez at Red Bull has been knocked back because their management don’t “rate him”, it has been claimed.

After the F1 Qatar Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas was suggested by some onlookers to be the answer to Red Bull’s problems.

Bottas is soon out-of-contract, will lose his Sauber seat and won’t be in Formula 1 in 2025 unless something huge changes.

Sergio Perez’s Red Bull replacement?

Perez’s form won’t be enough to stay in his Red Bull seat next year, it was debated on the F1 Nation podcast.

“No, not in the way that he would need to keep running in that team,” Alex Jacques analysed. “It’s a sad thing to say.

“He is a six-time grand prix winner who has had some great days. But I don’t think he will continue with that team.”

Tom Clarkson asked: “I will revisit the Valtteri Bottas thing - name me someone better who is available?”

Jacques replied: “I could name lots of people. But Helmut Marko doesn’t think he’s any good so it’s not going to happen.

“The power dynamic in that team, Marko has never thought he is a top driver.”

Clarkson said: “We need Helmut to come and sit next to us. With Max in the other car, you need a quick, consistent, apolitical driver to bang it into the top five.”

Jacques: “Two or three tenths from Max’s time in qualifying, put it into the top five, that gets you closer to the constructors’.

“He was brilliant for Mercedes at doing that. But they’re not doing that.”

Valtteri Bottas “they don’t like me” claim

Bottas claimed that “there are some people at Red Bull who don’t really like me”.

That individual was later identified as Marko, by Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz.

Crash.net learned in the Qatar paddock that Red Bull won’t make a decision on the under-fire Perez’s future until after this weekend’s season-finale in Abu Dhabi.

Horner said Perez will be left to “come to his own conclusions” about whether to stay in his race seat.

Is Yuki Tsunoda the answer?

RB teammates Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are the key candidates to replace Perez, from Red Bull’s sister team.

But Jacques commented on Tsunoda: “I don’t think they’ve ever rated him, truly.

“He’s had four years in Formula 1 because of the Honda programme.

“Yuki has a high ceiling of performance but they worry about his consistency.

“There are differences of opinion there, which is why it has taken time to resolve this.”

The postseason test next Tuesday in Abu Dhabi might be the final chance for drivers to state their case.

“Maybe, if he has an incredible test,” Jacques said about Tsunoda.

“Remember how much they talked up Daniel Ricciardo’s test last year at Silverstone?

“I think it will be Liam Lawson or Yuki.”

Haas Test and Reserve Driver Pietro Fittipaldi added: “Checo is my friend and I want him to continue. But I agree they will get someone from within their pool of drivers.

“Maybe it’s for the best that he doesn’t continue. But as a racer, I know he wants to race.

“I would put Tsunoda in. The test in Abu Dhabi, you can definitely tell.”