Red Bull ‘hatch Sergio Perez contract plan’ as stars align for Lando Norris move
Lando Norris looking forward to 'different responsibility' as McLaren's senior driver
Red Bull will reportedly hold talks over a contract extension with Sergio Perez at the end of the season. While the move would be unexpected considering the Mexican’s turbulent form, it would align his contract length with that of Lando Norris, who has been widely touted to partner Max Verstappen later in his career.
A lack of viable alternatives is undoubtedly helping Perez’s case to remain at Red Bull. The 33-year-old is under contract until the end of next season, but there have been murmurs that his seat may be in jeopardy unless he seals second place in the Drivers’ Championship.
It would therefore come as a surprise if Red Bull opt to tie Perez down for longer than his current agreement. However, Total-Motorsport.com claim that talks between the six-time Grand Prix winner and his team have been scheduled for December.
A key topic of discussion will reportedly be an extension that keeps Perez in situ until the end of the 2025 season.
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If he signs on the dotted line, his renegotiated deal would expire at the same time as Norris’. Red Bull may be keen to avoid binning Perez in 2024 and bringing in a stopgap for just one season until the McLaren star becomes available.
Extending the Mexican’s agreement would therefore make sense if Norris is Christian Horner’s chosen one. The Red Bull boss has already admitted that the 23-year-old is an F1 star held in high regard by the team.
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“Lando’s a great driver – he’s a big talent, big personality and of course he’s one of those drivers that you keep an eye on,” he told Sky Sports. “Being Max’s team-mate is never going to be easy and some drivers may be up for that challenge, some may not be.
“But of course as well as the drivers we have in-house, we keep an eye on all the driver market. As you can imagine, there’s quite a bit of interest from certain sectors about driving a Red Bull car.”
Perez, meanwhile, entertained the prospect of a future away from Red Bull when discussing the pressure he faced earlier this season. “I think that now, with the year we’ve had, it’s important in the next races to be in an environment where I feel I can contribute,” he said.
“And if that place in the future isn’t here, then we have to look for alternatives. But for now, my main focus is to stay here and win more races. And keep on winning championships with Red Bull.”
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