Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull has become a topic of intense speculation, even though he has a contract with the team until the end of the 2026 season. His performance this season has been far behind his teammate Max Verstappen, which has led to concerns for the team.

While Verstappen continues to deliver pretty good results, including a brilliant drive from seventeenth place to a victory at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Perez’s struggles have caused Red Bull to drop to third place in the Constructors' Championship.

The Mexican hasn’t stood on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April but still insists he will stay with Red Bull in 2025. However, team boss Christian Horner has said that tough decisions will need to be made, and the team will meet at the end of the season to discuss Perez’s future.

Red Bull has a few options for replacing Perez. One of the most talked-about candidates is Liam Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo in RB starting with the United States Grand Prix weekend in October. 

In only his short time in Formula 1, he has shown some great performances and secured some valuable points for Red Bull’s sister team, making him a serious contender to move up to the main team.

Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, has said he’d be open to seeing Lawson join Red Bull, believing a stronger teammate could help push Max even further.

“I think Lawson is doing very well,” he told Viaplay.

“It seems logical to me that he is ready to step up. Let him finish this season and build confidence and then the team has to decide what they do for next year.

“I certainly don’t oppose that [Lawson replacing Perez in Red Bull]. It’s better if there is someone who is competitive and pushes Max forward a bit. That always helps, but we’ll see.”

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed the team will meet to discuss Perez’s future, despite his contract for next year, and will make a decision after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.