Perez came close to grabbing pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, but his teammate Max Verstappen beat him by a tiny 0.066 seconds. This meant Red Bull finished first and second in the race.
Perez’s contract with Red Bull ends this year. Some people thought Daniel Ricciardo might take his place next year. But Ricciardo hasn’t been performing as well as his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Also, Carlos Sainz might become available as Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari. Fernando Alonso hasn’t said if he’ll stay with Aston Martin. There’s also uncertainty about Verstappen’s future with Red Bull.
Red Bull’s advisor, Marko, thinks Perez’s recent good performance might be because he’s trying to secure a new contract. In Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Perez finished behind Verstappen, but now he’s doing better.
Marko told Sky Germany, “Maybe Perez is doing well because he knows his contract is up for renewal, which is happening earlier this year than usual. This could be motivating him.”
Marko said they’re working on deciding the drivers for the 2025 season but need more time before making a final choice.
Alonso and Mercedes want to sort out their driver contracts for 2025 by the summer. Marko said they usually don’t discuss driver decisions in April, but this year things seem to be moving faster.
He also mentioned that Carlos Sainz could be considered if they bring him back to Red Bull.
Marko and the Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, are discussing the driver lineup as they do every year. Their relationship is being watched more closely after rumors that Marko leaked information about an investigation into Horner’s behavior.