Multi-million price-tag revealed to pay off Sergio Perez as “lawyers” tipped

Sergio Perez will want a pay-off if Red Bull ditch him, Nico Rosberg insists - and the price-tag could be huge.

Red Bull are expected to sit down to finally decide the future of their underperforming driver now that the 2024 season has concluded, with everything suggested that he will be replaced before 2025.

But Perez is under contract - after being given a new deal earlier this season which backfired, Christian Horner admitted.

The fee to pay him off could reach $16m, Rosberg claimed.

Red Bull may pay Sergio Perez off

“Perez is one of the mysteries of recent times, how he can lose such form,” ex-F1 champion Rosberg told Sky Sports.

“He is so far back, he struggles to get within six or seven tenths of Max which is huge in F1.

“All the rumours are that he’ll be out but he hasn’t confirmed it because he has a contract for next year.

“The rumour is that it’s around $16m! He wants his money, at least, so he won’t go away easily.

“There will be lawyer discussions.”

Danica Patrick added: “Qualifying, he has always struggled. He has a habit of wanting to go out late.

“He really hasn’t put it together.

“What stands out for me are the little mistakes - like starting too far from the line, a few races ago. And missing the pit out, so he couldn’t get the lap. I don’t know if it’s a focus thing.

“But it’s more than overall results, it’s the mistakes along the way, too.

“I don’t think it’s worth sacrificing the reputation of his career because he’s had a lot of success.”

Who will replace Sergio Perez?

Martin Brundle said: “I feel the same way about Sergio as I did about Daniel Ricciardo.

“I have the utmost respect for the person, the driver and the victories that he’s had.

“Sometimes he has won races without the fastest car. Total respect.

“But I’ll be slightly relieved when it’s over. It must be purgatory for him, at the moment.

“He has lost his mojo, lost his way. All the pressure heaped on that, to turn up every day must be painful.”

RB duo Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are the contenders to replace Perez.

Tsunoda is driving a Red Bull at the postseason test in Abu Dhabi.

Interest in Williams’ Franco Colapinto came to nothing. If Lawson or Tsunoda are picked, then Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar will step up from Formula 2 into the RB in 2025.

Rosberg said: “It’s a hard decision. The options are not so fantastic because of the lack of experience on Lawson’s side.

“The rumours are that they will go for Lawson.

“It’s not an obvious one, either. Against Tsunoda it’s not like he’s been on a different planet, he’s been there or thereabouts.

“That’s the gamble that they will take, and they should take it.”

Brundle added: “Red Bull are paying the price for having Max Verstappen in the team. They don’t have an obvious solution.”