Pink Bull is permitting Sergio Perez to “come to his personal conclusions” in regards to the probability of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being his final race for the group.
Perez has endured a tricky 2024, scoring simply 4 podiums – within the first 5 rounds of the season – and presently sits a distant eighth within the drivers’ championship. The hole to teammate Max Verstappen presently stands at 277 factors, and Pink Bull can not defend its constructors’ championship title, resulting in a shareholder assembly after the season finale to debate his future.
“Checo has had a really powerful 12 months,” group principal Christian Horner stated. “Clearly the factors tables are what they’re. We’re very a lot centered on actually supporting him to the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi, after which clearly it’s not an pleasing scenario for Checo, being on this place with hypothesis each week.
“He’s sufficiently old and sensible sufficient to know what the scenario is, and let’s see the place we’re after Abu Dhabi.
“I’m going to let Checo come to his personal conclusions, no person’s forcing him a technique or one other, I’m going to let him… it’s not a pleasant scenario for him to clearly be in.
“We’ve received yet one more race this 12 months, we’ll throw every part at it, and hopefully he can have a powerful race to finish the season in Abu Dhabi.”
Regardless of Helmut Marko already acknowledging the shareholder assembly, Horner insists discussions over Perez’s future shall be mentioned privately. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t speculate over the Mexican’s place throughout the group past the ultimate race, regardless that Perez has an extra two years on his contract.
“Checo can’t be having fun with the scenario that he’s received in the mean time. He’s decided to complete the season on a excessive,” he stated. “Something relating to the drivers will all the time be handled behind closed doorways, and most of all I believe our precedence is to get to the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi. Let’s see if we will end the season on a extra optimistic be aware with Checo.”
Ought to a change be made, RACER understands Pink Bull would probably promote certainly one of Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda, and switch to F2 title contender Isack Hadjar for an RB seat over bringing in Franco Colapinto.
“[Colapinto] for positive, is a expertise that’s seeking to earn his everlasting place in Components 1,” stated Horner. “We’ve an awesome pool of expertise throughout the Pink Bull junior group, and I’m positive Franco will discover his manner onto the grid sooner or later.
“You’re all the time protecting your eye on what the market is in all groups however we now have the power and depth within the junior program. It was good to see Isack Hadjar doing a great job [in Qatar] in Components 2 as effectively.
“I believe there’s what, half a degree between the drivers going into the ultimate race in Abu Dhabi. Liam and Yuki had been very carefully matched in that race, by way of tempo, so we’ve received a full secure of drivers.”
