Did Perez almost not get a new contract after near-crash with Verstappen? Marko responds!

Daniel Ricciardo, and Carlos Sainz, were both mentioned as potential replacements for Perez. Yet the chances seem high that the six-time race winner may stay in the seat himself. The Mexican has reportedly agreed to a one-season contract extension, as opposed to his earlier demand for a multi-year extension.

Perez has meant a lot to his teammate, Max Verstappen, in recent seasons. Who could forget his defensive actions against Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021. As a result, the Dutchman became world champion. A few weeks ago, however, things almost went wrong. At the start of the Miami Grand Prix, Perez braked far too late. He very lightly grazed Verstappen's car, but no major crash followed.

Marko on avoided Perez and Verstappen crash

Marko therefore argues that it was not a helpful action by the Mexican: "The first corner in Miami, we’ll just forget. But it’s always positive, it’s not that he didn’t avoid the collision. It would have come to a very bad moment I would say. But it went well."

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.