Fighting for position next to Alpha Max Verstappen

With only team-mate Max Verstappen trailing him, and the gap to the world champion reaching enormous proportions, Sergio Perez is in danger of being ousted from Red Bull. A small miracle is needed this weekend in Budapest to secure a job.

At least Sergio Perez has support from home. “It’s not the pilot, it’s the car,” wrote El Universal. The 34-year-old Formula 1 driver from Guadalajara is fighting for his future with the world champion team. And they know it in Mexico too.

Former champion Jenson Button has already demanded as a TV pundit: “You can’t let it go on like this forever. If he can’t get back into the points in the next race, they’ll have to take him out of the car soon and put another driver in.”

So is the Hungarian circuit also the last exit for Sergio Perez? The race, which threatens to turn into a hot battle with temperatures approaching 40 degrees, could in any case decide the veteran's fate in advance, regardless of the contract until the end of 2026.

According to media reports, there should be an early termination clause in the collaboration, which was only extended this year: if Perez is more than 100 points behind his teammate after this and the next Belgian Grand Prix, the contract could be terminated. The problem for Perez: Max Verstappen already has 137 cars. And in order to catch up in the two races, the Mexican will probably need a small miracle. Catching up at least 37 points seems like an almost impossible task for Verstappen's Mexican teammate.

But with the competition this year so intense with a strong McLaren and the return of Mercedes and Ferrari, Red Bull cannot rely on Verstappen alone. “We also need two drivers up front for the Constructors’ Championship and we still hope that Sergio Perez will find his way back to form,” Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko wrote on the Speedweek.com internal website ahead of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix (3pm, live, ORF, Sky).

Magnussen's Checkered Flag

The decision has already been made at Haas Racing. Kevin Magnussen will leave the Americans after this season. The 31-year-old Dane's contract will not be extended. This means that Haas will compete with a new driver pairing in 2025; the departure of German Nico Hulkenberg to Sauber has been confirmed for some time.

Brett Oliver Permane, 19, from Ferrari's youth academy, will make his first season as a regular driver for the 36-year-old. The first contender to take Magnussen's place is Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who will leave the Alps at the end of this year. (Agence France-Presse)