Red Bull, Helmut Marko not closing the door on Sergio Perez

Red Bull, Helmut Marko does not close the door on Sergio Perez

With only a few days to go before the start of the new F1 season, all eyes are on Max Verstappen, who will try to win a fourth consecutive world title. However, 2024 will also be a crucial year for teammate Sergio Perez, who will be called upon to give his all in order to get reappointed by Red Bull, as his contract with the Austrian team will expire at the end of the season. Although the chances of him staying are slim, Helmut Marko, to the microphones of "Servus TV", would not close a priori the'possibility of continuing the relationship with the Mexican driver.

"Checo must provide consistent performance. It's clear that he can't always drive at the level of Verstappen, but if he comes second in the championship with one or two wins, then we can safely talk about extending his contract. On the one hand è a much sought-after seat and many will give their all to convince us to bet on them, but on the other hand no teammate canò hold a candle to Max and in the long run it canò become demoralizing" began the Red Bull sports executive.

"For both Ricciardo and Tsunoda, it is not only about giving it their all to stay in Formula 1, but also about the possibility of promotion to Red Bull Racing. This applies to the person who will doà best over the course of the season within the team" continued the former Austrian driver regarding the two Racing Bull drivers.

In conclusion, Helmut Marko è expressed himself in no uncertain terms about the future of Max Verstappen, whose contract binds him to Red Bull until 2028: "We know very well that Max's stay will depend on the performance of the car we give him. If we are not able to provide him with a car capable of winning then è it is clear that he will look around to find something better".