Sergio Perez will discover whether he has a future at Red Bull following a shareholder meeting after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The beleaguered Mexican has hung onto a seat so far this year despite enduring a dismal season that has left him 251 points adrift of team-mate and newly-crowned 2024 F1 drivers' champion Max Verstappen.
Despite a string of lacklustre performances, with his lack of points also all but ending Red Bull's defence of the constructors' title, Perez has publicly enjoyed the backing of the team – albeit with clear calls that results need to improve.
He now seemingly has next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix and the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi to prove he is deserving of a 2025 drive, with a number of options open to Red Bull and sister team RB.
"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," team advisor Helmut Marko told ORF.
"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…so if Sergio was anywhere near (Lewis) Hamilton and (George) Russell or Ferrari or even McLaren, then we would be well ahead again."
Having qualified a lowly 16th in Las Vegas – his sixth Q1 exit of the season – Perez blamed the performance of the car and, asked about next year having left the final US race of the year with a point from finishing 10th, he again pointed the finger at the machinery.
Watch: Why Verstappen's 2024 Title Success is His Greatest Yet - F1 Las Vegas GP Analysis
"I think we really need to solve the issues we've had this year," he replied. "I think the team knows exactly where we are at and Red Bull is the best team, and I believe that we can have a much better car for next year."
Red Bull is in the unique position of having four contracted drivers on the grid at any one time, a situation that only intensifies the pressure on Perez.
RB pairing Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson will both fancy their chances of ousting Perez, with the former testing the Red Bull after Abu Dhabi and the latter arguably much more likely to land the seat full-time.
There is also the intriguing possibility of the Red Bull stable pulling off a move to land Franco Colapinto from Williams with the Argentinian having caught the eye since being promoted to a drive earlier in the year.
Team boss Christian Horner said: "Anything regarding the drivers...We have drivers under contract, and we have drivers with options that remain between the company and the drivers involved. And there's nothing to say on that. But if there was something to say, I'd tell you.
"I mean, obviously, a single point from Checo. It was a good drive from him, a good recovery. But the problem is, we're starting out of position on the day that McLaren were weak. We would have liked to have taken more points out of them today."
