Christian Horner has said Sergio Perez’s lack of points in the 2024 Formula 1 season has been “very expensive” for Red Bull, as his likely final race with the team approaches.
Despite Perez having a contract covering the 2025 and 2026 F1 campaigns, Red Bull is thought to have already decided to replace him for next year – although the manner of his exit is still unclear given his contractual situation.
Perez is currently eighth in the drivers’ standings, 277 points behind his world champion team-mate Max Verstappen, which works out as a 65% difference.
This is 133 points fewer than what Perez collected in 2023 when he finished runner-up to Verstappen, with just the season finale in Abu Dhabi to run on Sunday.
As well as the big gap between the Red Bull pair, improvements from rival teams McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes means the Austrian squad has lost its constructors’ crown after back to back championships. Either McLaren or Ferrari will claim the title at Yas Marina Circuit.
“He’s been a great team player,” Horner exclusively told Motorsport.com in Abu Dhabi. “He’s contributed a lot to the team in his time so far. He remains under contract to the team.
“Nobody is more disappointed with his season this year than Checo. And obviously following the season, we’ll take the time to reflect on that.
“We’ve done everything that we can to try and help him during the season. All kinds of [things] – chassis changes, set-up, working with him in many different areas. But this season shouldn’t be treated in isolation.
“Over the period of time that he’s been with the team he’s finished second in the world championship last year, he’s won five grands prix for us, he’s contributed to the 2021 championship [for Verstappen] and obviously contributed to two constructors’ championships.
“Nobody will be more disappointed in his campaign this year than himself. Of course, Checo, with his experience – there’s always feedback that’s beneficial to the team.
“He’s struggled to adapt to the car and the lack of points from the car has been very expensive for us.”
Horner also reiterated that the decision to grant Perez a new contract, which was announced back in early June, was because it “was a time that we wanted to have stability”.
“Checo was performing, he was delivering,” he added. “There was a juncture in his contract that triggered the discussion.
“The contract’s always going to be private and confidential between the driver and the team, but the reason we chose to exercise it at that time was to have stability after he’d been on the podium in four out of five races in the early part of the year.”
Horner denied suggestions the contract decision was part of a plan to ensure stability should Verstappen try to force his way out of Red Bull – at a time where it was starting to struggle with its RB20 and the Dutchman was being significantly courted by Mercedes.
“No, [it was] because obviously there was a lot of noise and it looked like there was going to be a championship fight [with McLaren],” Horner said. “And you don’t want the distraction of the driver merry-go-round.”
