After Max Verstappen completely dominated the Bahrain season opener, finishing 22 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, many fans thought 2024 would be just like 2023, with Red Bull being almost impossible to beat.

Although Perez performed well in the first few races, he later faced a significant drop in performance, struggling not just for podiums but even for high-points finishes.

For Verstappen, the turning point came around the Miami Grand Prix, where he started loudly complaining about problems with balance of the RB20.

Team Principal Christian Horner said Red Bull investigated and found out that the problems started at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, which is exactly the time when Sergio Perez began having issues, the team just didn’t see it because Verstappen continued to dominate.

Some mechanics even came and apologised to the Mexican, after this statement came out. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that Perez is not even close to matching pace with Verstappen.

As the team competes closely with McLaren that has two strong drivers, they recognize that not making changes for 2025 could result in a disaster.

With Liam Lawson replacing Daniel Ricciardo in RB to evaluate his potential for 2025, it could ultimately be Perez who loses his seat.

Christian Horner now says it’s important to understand the options available, as the title fight is likely to be even closer next year.

“We desperately need answers,” Horner told Motorsport.com regarding Red Bull’s driver situation.

“When you look at our opponents, Ferrari will be strong next year, with [Lewis] Hamilton and [Charles] Leclerc. Plus McLaren with [Lando] Norris and [Oscar] Piastri is a strong line-up.

“We need to make sure that with both of our drivers, that there's not a big gap between them because you can't afford to have that.”

Red Bull is set to reveal a new upgrade package at this weekend's United States Grand Prix, which the team believes will help them close the 41-point gap to McLaren in the Constructors' Championship.