Each of the 20 drivers possesses the abilities needed to succeed in Formula 1, but there are only a few slight variations that prevent them from standing on the podium at the top. For instance, we may observe Sergio Perez‘s struggles to establish a strong reputation for himself prior to joining Red Bull. And since he joined the Milton Keynes side, he has been consistent at the podiums which have increased his hunger to fight Max Verstappen for a title this year.

However, following the Saudi GP, the Austrian camp was seen to be agitated. Since then, there have been increasing rumors about Perez’s replacement. And in a recent episode of The Race podcast, the host indicated a surprising driver who might take Checo’s place at Red Bull. With his abilities, the driver has also gained Max Verstappen’s respect.

You may already be speculating about certain names, but when we unveil them, you’ll be completely shocked. Both hosts chose Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, as the potential replacement for Sergio Perez. As a result of Checo Perez’s dispute with Red Bull’s star driver, there have been more and more rumors about who would succeed him when the Mexican driver’s contract expires.

One of the good things about the first three races has been the German driver. Last year, Mick Schumacher was easily defeated by Kevin Magnussen, but this year, Hulkenberg has beaten the Dane in each of the three qualifying rounds. And with a respectable seventh position and mature driving at the Australian Grand Prix, the German has proven his mettle.

Witnessing the sheer skills of the German driver, the podcast’s host has endorsed Hulkenberg, who might perform somewhat better than Perez on the Austrian team. In comparison to Pérez’s 238 points throughout the course of their three years as teammates, the German driver scored 226 points.

Ben Anderson said, “Now Pérez is on a top team and he’s doing well, but he’s not going to win the championship. Pérez is not going to be as strong as Max Verstappen. I would say that Hülkenberg would do a little better in the Red Bull than Pérez does now. Maybe that’s a controversial opinion. However, I don’t think Hülkenberg would beat Verstappen.”

READ MORE: “Messi or Ronaldo of Motorsport” Max Verstappen Makes Sergio Perez’s Life in F1 Miserable Despite No Evil Intentions

Later Anderson also mentioned that the Dutchman liked Hulkenberg. The expert might have pointed out the time back in 2020 when Verstappen had praised the German driver and said that Hulkenberg should be racing next year and “he definitely deserves to be in F1.” Referring that Anderson said, “Hülkenberg is also a driver who is respected by Verstappen.”

The Mexican driver’s contract was extended last year until the end of 2024, but now that he has been engaged in an uphill struggle with Verstappen, the sword hanging over his head has been drawing nearer. In addition to the recent unexpected name, Red Bull’s sister team exacerbated Perez’s headache.

Who else is in the race to replace Sergio Perez?

The team principal of Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, Franz Tost, believes that the drivers of their sister team are the best alternative for Checo. The team manager is expecting Red Bull management to think about Yuki Tsunoda if an alternate driver is named since the Japanese driver has been strong since the start of season 2023. In addition, Yuki was outstanding throughout his time in F2.

Franz Tost, who was cited by the GP blog, remarked, “Yuki drove two extremely strong races so far. I am very happy with him. It’s not his fault that we aren’t competitive yet. As far as I know, Sergio Perez still has a contract for next year. All I can say is that Yuki is on the right track. He has improved in every respect.”

Later, Tost added that the right time for Yuki to get promoted to Red Bull is in 2025. He said, “But I think he should drive at AlphaTauri again in 2024. In 2025, I think he will finally be ready for Red Bull.”

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Do you believe Red Bull will continue with the Mexican driver at the start of 2025?