Sergio Perez and his future at Red Bull Racing is one of the big talking points within the Formula 1 community. The Mexican driver has hung onto his seat despite a dismal outing. Speaking of his 2024 season, he is 251 points adrift of his teammate and champion Max Verstappen. While he made amends for his disastrous qualifying run fourth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix by finishing P10, his future at Red Bull is still up in the air. So far Red Bull has publicly backed their driver, but with the lack of points along with the loss of the constructor’s title, they will need to reconsider Checo’s future for the 2025 season.

Any official call or a hint about Perez’s future with Red Bull might come out in the open after the race in Abu Dhabi. But former NASCAR driver turned presenter Danica Patrick feels that it’s time Sergio Perez should call it quits before it’s too late.

Danica Patrick just might have delivered another controversial statement

NASCAR fans are not new to Patrick stirring up the pot with her statements. However, ever since she picked up the microphone for Sky Sports, the F1 fans also got a taste of what the former SHR driver can bring to the table. Well, F1 fans in the United States and elsewhere weren’t thrilled to see her back on broadcasting duties for the Vegas race in the first place. And they just might’ve been proved right after she made a controversial call regarding Perez’s racing career.

Now, the Red Bull driver has had it rough, and his dismal run throughout the 2024 campaign is well documented. An argument can be made as to whether he is the best pick to partner with Max Verstappen. But stating that he should be done racing at the top level is a far-fetched theory. Danica Patrick was sold on the latter part of the theory, as she thinks that Checo should be calling it quits from Formula 1 racing after his sub-par qualifying run at Vegas.

“He’s done so many great things and won so many races. I think that, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to look like that anymore. I’d just say it’s time,” Danica Patrick said while speaking on Sky Sports. At 34, Perez isn’t past his prime years; he has six F1 wins and 39 podium finishes so far and could continue further. Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Valtteri Bottas make a case that age isn’t something that can hold a passionate driver to deliver his best on the racetrack.

However, a team like Red Bull, who are in the business of winning races and titles, will need to make a call on Perez soon. Going by the latest updates, the team is expected to decide Checo’s fate after the end of the Abu Dhabi race.

The big problem Red Bull faces is finding the right balance when it comes to Max Verstappen’s teammate. In the past, drivers who took on the role couldn’t fare well in the position. Both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon gave a string of poor performances that led them out of the team. It’s no secret Red Bull developed the car based on Max Verstappen’s driving style and thus many drivers find it difficult to adjust to the car.

Perez didn’t have the problem in his first few seasons with the team and did manage consistent performances. However, when it comes to this season, the story is different. The first half of the season saw podiums and top-10 finishes, but accidents and crashes meant DNFs for the Mexican. Add to that the performance inconsistencies of the RB20, ones even Max Verstappen struggled with, gives Sergio Perez some leeway about the lack of wins this year.

Helmut Marko provides an update on Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull

Red Bull is one of the few powerhouse teams that can call a driver on a whim. They are in a unique position of having four drivers locked in a contract, which certainly intensifies the pressure for Perez. Alpha Tauri pairing Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson will be eager to boot Checo out of the seat at Red Bull.

Now all Perez has is two weeks to install faith and trust within the top brass of Red Bull Racing. Providing an update on the situation, Helmut Marko, while speaking on ORF, said, “There will be a meeting after Abu Dhabi, and the result of this meeting will be presented to the shareholders, and they will then decide what the driver situation for both teams will look like for next year. I don’t know the exact gap now, but I think Checo has over 200 points less than Max. And then it’s clear that the constructors’ title is no longer possible.”

Although Verstappen delivered the goods by clinching his fourth crown, Red Bull would want a reliable teammate for their driver lineup if they want to contest for the constructor’s championship in 2025. But it will be shocking to see Perez hang up his boots from F1 racing if he’s shown the exit door by the Red Bull team.