Helmut Marko reveals Red Bull to ‘evaluate’ Sergio Perez’s stay at the team during the summer break

Helmut Marko asserted that exit clauses were a common aspect in F1 driver contracts.

Helmut Marko reveals Red Bull to ‘evaluate’ Sergio Perez’s stay at the team during the summer break

Helmut Marko with Sergio Perez (IMAGO)

Red Bull Motorsport Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko was asked about Sergio Perez’s recent performances. The Mexican driver recently extended his contract with Milton Keynes, and Marko believed this would motivate him to perform better. However, Perez’s performance has been declining day by day. Due to this Red Bull may evaluate his contract during the summer break.

Helmut Marko in an interview commented on Sergio Perez’s tenure at Milton Keynes. Marko highlighted that F1 contracts often have exit clauses that led the driver or the team end the contract early. He mentioned for top drivers, these conditions usually relate to their performance on the track. If a driver isn’t performing up to expectations, the team can use these clauses to terminate the contract and sign a different driver who might perform better. Marko reckoned this could happen in Perez’s case.

All Formula 1 contracts have exit clauses, most of them related to performance or let’s say for the top drivers.
Helmut Marko told GrandPrix247
YouTube video

Marko indicated that they had planned to review Sergio Perez’s performance during the summer break. This review will be intended to see how well Perez has been performing. After this evaluation, Red Bull would make a decision about whether to keep Checo as a driver for the team or to make a change. However, they ensure that Perez meets their expectations before deciding on his future with the team.

FS Video
As I mentioned before, we will have an evaluation during the summer break and then we will make a decision.
Helmut Marko added

Helmut Marko considers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda as potential replacements for Sergio Perez

Helmut Marko was asked about Red Bull’s next driver if they let Checo leave. He mentioned Liam Lawson will be testing the car at Silverstone on Thursday, which is an opportunity to see how well he performs. After that, they will have two more races where Lawson will also be given a chance to show his skills.

First we have to see. Lawson is testing at Silverstone on Thursday. And yeah, so two more races and there will be more outings with Lawson.
Helmut Marko stated
Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Helmut Marko (VIa: imago)

Marko also noted that Yuki Tsunoda is performing very well in their sister team, which makes him another potential option for the team. Essentially, they are considering both drivers but need to see more from them before deciding who might replace Checo Perez.

There’s also Yuki Tusnoda who is doing very well.
Helmut Marko said

Certainly, Helmut Marko highlighted the two potential replacements for Checo, if the team decides to terminate his contract. Marko believed in reviewing Perez’s performance first before taking any action against him. This approach aimed to ensure that Sergio Perez would recognize that his performance was not up to mark.

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