Purple Bull is permitting Sergio Perez to “come to his personal conclusions” in regards to the probability of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being his final race for the group.
Perez has endured a troublesome 2024, scoring simply 4 podiums – within the first 5 rounds of the season – and presently sits a distant eighth within the drivers’ championship. The hole to teammate Max Verstappen presently stands at 277 factors, and Purple Bull can not defend its constructors’ championship title, resulting in a shareholder assembly after the season finale to debate his future.
“Checo has had a really robust 12 months,” group principal Christian Horner stated. “Clearly the factors tables are what they’re. We’re very a lot centered on actually supporting him to the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi, after which clearly it’s not an pleasurable scenario for Checo, being on this place with hypothesis each week.
“He’s sufficiently old and smart sufficient to know what the scenario is, and let’s see the place we’re after Abu Dhabi.
“I’m going to let Checo come to his personal conclusions, no person’s forcing him a method or one other, I’m going to let him… it’s not a pleasant scenario for him to clearly be in.
“We’ve bought yet another race this 12 months, we’ll throw all the pieces at it, and hopefully he can have a robust race to finish the season in Abu Dhabi.”
Regardless of Helmut Marko already acknowledging the shareholder assembly, Horner insists discussions over Perez’s future might be mentioned privately. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t speculate over the Mexican’s place inside the group past the ultimate race, despite the fact that Perez has an extra two years on his contract.
“Checo can’t be having fun with the scenario that he’s bought in the meanwhile. He’s decided to complete the season on a excessive,” he stated. “Something concerning the drivers will at all times be handled behind closed doorways, and most of all I believe our precedence is to get to the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi. Let’s see if we will end the season on a extra constructive be aware with Checo.”
Ought to a change be made, RACER understands Purple Bull would doubtless promote one in all Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda, and switch to F2 title contender Isack Hadjar for an RB seat over bringing in Franco Colapinto.
“[Colapinto] for positive, is a expertise that’s trying to earn his everlasting place in Method 1,” stated Horner. “Now we have an amazing pool of expertise inside the Purple Bull junior group, and I’m positive Franco will discover his means onto the grid sooner or later.
“You’re at all times preserving your eye on what the market is in all groups however we have now the energy and depth within the junior program. It was good to see Isack Hadjar doing a superb job [in Qatar] in Method 2 as nicely.
“I believe there’s what, half a degree between the drivers going into the ultimate race in Abu Dhabi. Liam and Yuki had been very carefully matched in that race, by way of tempo, so we’ve bought a full steady of drivers.”
