What options do Red Bull Racing have to solve the Sergio Perez problem?

Who will be the drivers at Red Bull Racing at Zandvoort?

At Red Bull Racing, it is clear that things need to change. Over the past few months, McLaren have been catching up considerably as Red Bull's second driver has barely scored any points. Max Verstappen provides the majority of points, but Sergio Perez is nowhere near his teammate.

Red Bull, of course, has the option of leaving Perez in his position. With races like Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, there are weekends coming up where Perez normally performs relatively better. After all, Perez still has a contract and was himself 100% certain in Belgium that he would be in the Red Bull at Zandvoort.

Yet there is little confidence in Perez's performance in recent weeks and there is a performance clause in the contract, which means Red Bull could still get rid of him. With the scheduled review process and noises coming from the team, Red Bull seems to be opting for another driver.

That battle is between Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson. The pair will drive in VCARB's car on Wednesday for a filming day at Imola. The filming day would be used as a shootout. The driver who makes the most impression there will drive for Red Bull Racing after the summer when farewells are said to Perez.

Ricciardo seems to have an edge. The Australian knows the team, the pressure at the organisation and has a good relationship with team principal Christian Horner who will make the final choice. Ricciardo's performance improved at VCARB in 2024, but is it enough for a promotion? Liam Lawson is an even bigger gamble if possible. The New Zealander impressed at his stints for AlphaTauri, but has not driven in F1 since.

Who will be the drivers at Visa Cash App RB at Zandvoort?

The driver line-up at Visa Cash App RB logically depends hugely on the choice at Red Bull Racing. Yuki Tsunoda will retain his spot. The Japanese driver renewed his contract and is not in the picture at Red Bull Racing.

The second seat seems to be filled by Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson. If one of the two goes to Red Bull Racing, the other will get the seat at VCARB. The big question, though, is what happens if Red Bull Racing sticks with Sergio Perez. Then it will be Ricciardo or Lawson in the second VCARB. A scenario where Ricciardo is not in action at Zandvoort seems unreal after the last few races but cannot be ruled out entirely.

What does Perez's future look like after Red Bull?

The big loser in all this is of course Sergio Perez, at least if he is fired. After all, there is no place for him at VCARB, if he would want it himself at all. For the Mexican, then, the main issue will be to enter the driver market for 2025. However, there are still some seats left and his sponsorship from Mexico is of interest to any team in the midfield or at the rear of the grid.