Perez won't get his wish from Horner: 'Of course he wants to'

Sergio Perez shouldn't expect a quick contract extension. The Mexican said he expected a contract to be announced in the coming weeks but, Christian Horner is adamant that clarity is still some time away.

Perez's contract expires at the end of 2024 and that seat is obviously in high demand. Red Bull Racing still have the fastest car at their disposal and so drivers are queuing up. Perez revealed in China that he was still hoping for a brief meeting with Red Bull Racing and assumed he would get clarity soon. Horner argues that Perez will have to wait a little longer.

"Not very [soon], I'm afraid," Horner replied when asked if Perez will get clarity soon. "It's incredible that we're race five, and there's so much talk already about drivers for next year. So we're in a situation where we're very happy with our two drivers, but we don't need to make a final decision about the line-up until much later in the year. Max is on a long-term contract. Checo is out of contract this year, but he's been driving exceptionally well so far this season," Horner added.

Why Perez is not yet getting clarity from Red Bull Racing

Horner's statements go against Perez's story. The latter stated that he expects to provide more clarity for 2025 in the coming weeks. If that is not possible at Red Bull Racing, could that indicate that he will leave?

"Of course, Perez would like to make an announcement tomorrow, undoubtedly. But we as a team aren't in a particular rush. We're in a fortunate position where many drivers would obviously like to drive for the team, but we're happy with the pairing that we have," Horner continued.

"We just want to make sure that the level of consistency that Checo has started this season maintains, and in due course, we'll evaluate those options. But as I say, at this point in time, we're very happy with the lineup that we have. So there's no imminent rush to announce the full driver lineup for 2025," Horner concluded at the press conference in China.